Picking Up the Pieces
by One-Tuff-Cookie723
Summary: Sequel to Never the Same. Frank and Joe begin to recover after Fenton saves them from years of child abuse. However, Louis is out for revenge and lurking around every corner. Warning: Language, violence, and a brief non-descriptive rape scene.
1. Chapter 1: Nightmare

**Hello everyone! This is the sequel to my story Never the Same. If you haven't read it yet then I suggest you should or else you won't know what's going on in this story. Today is my birthday! So here's my birthday gift to you **

**Warning: Some mild language**

**I don't own it. **

Fanfiction: Picking Up the Pieces

Chapter 1: Nightmare

(Frank is 11. Joe is 10)

_The sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky. Blades of grass danced in the light breeze. Puffy white clouds drifted lazily across the sky. The family of four sat under a large oak tree, enjoying the lovely day. They were sitting on a blue and white checkered picnic blanket. Plates of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, carrots and dip, watermelon and chocolate chip cookies were scattered about the blanket. Elvis music was playing in the background._

_The woman had a petite figure, flowing blonde hair, and kind, spirited blue eyes. Her face was filled with joy as the man sitting next to her tucked a flower behind her ear. The man had a wise look in his brown eyes, and chestnut colored hair. He smiled a loving smile and kissed his wife on the cheek._

_The two boys were enjoying large pieces of watermelon and giggling as the juices dripped down their arms. The boys were splitting images of their parents._

_An orange butterfly landed on the younger boy's hand. It lazily flapped its wings and headed towards the woods a few yards away. The family smiled and laughed as the blonde boy with the blue eyes started after the small winged creature. He happily skipped after it, giggling as the butterfly's fuzzy feet tickled his hands._

_The older boy got up and followed too, staying a small distance behind his brother. The butterfly entered the woods with both boys not very far behind it._

_As soon as the young boys entered the woods, the trees and bushes closed around them, encasing the youngsters in the forest. The orange butterfly dropped to the ground, dead. The scene grew darker, the green, leafy trees became black and lifeless. It grew colder, there was no sun, all around the blonde was a gray, dead forest. He turned, his brother was no longer next to him. In his place stood a man._

_The man looked cruel, vile, and downright terrifying. He smiled, displaying crooked, black, rotting teeth. His eyes were an eerie hazel and full of hatred and loathing. He wore a dirty white T-shirt that barley fit over is bulging belly, and a pair of dirty jeans. His head was mostly bald._

_"Ready to have some fun, boy?" The man said in a gnarled voice. He slowly undid his belt. "I'm gonna beat ya to a pulp."_

_Said boy was rooted to the spot, frozen in fear. He was drenched in a cold sweat and was shaking uncontrollably. His blue eyes were laced with terror._

_"Dis is all yer fault. You killed her, if you weren't such a damn failure-" The lunatic folded his belt in half and snapped it. Laughing as the boy flinched._

_Suddenly, the boy took off, tears were streaming down his face as he ran. He could hear the man calling out to him, and chasing him through the somber woods. The pounding footsteps got louder as the man got closer. Without warning, the boy tripped over a tree root and fell to the cold hard ground. Before he could get up, he was roughly flipped over onto his back. The mad man grinned at him, "Little shit," he muttered as he swung the belt down, the buckle biting into the quivering boy's cheek._

Daniel woke up with a scream. He tried to get out of the bed, but strong arms held him down. "No! No dad, stop!" He yelled as he thrashed around the small bed.

"Kid, kid it's ok. Stop moving." Soft words comforted him and he stopped thrashing.

"Where- where am I? Where's Michael!" He was in an all panic mode; shaking, sweating, and eyes that were the size of apples.

"You're at Boone Memorial Hospital. And Michael? Is that the boy with the brown hair?" A pleasant looking man with glasses and thinning gray hair asked him.

Daniel nodded. "He's my brother." Still unsure of his situation.

"What's your name, sonny?"

"Um Daniel."

The man wrote something down on a clipboard. "Well Daniel, as I said before, you're at Boone Memorial Hospital. My name is Dr. Stephen Gray, you've been here for approximately nine hours. You and your brother have some serious injuries. He's right across the hall." He pointed towards the door.

"H-hospital? Nine hours? I-injuries?" The boy finally realized he was laying in a hospital bed in severe pain. He groaned.

"Hurts?" "I would assume that it would, considering all that moving around you were just doing." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "I'll have the nurse prepare a sedative. Now is there anything you want to ask me before I go?"

"When can I see my brother?" Daniel had only one thing on his mind.

"When he wakes up, I'll let you see him. Alright?" The doctor smiled and left the room. A few minutes later, a young nurse came in, introducing herself as Camille and slipped a bag into his IV. Camille was still talking when Daniel escaped into a nightmarish sleep.

White. White walls, white curtains, a white door, a white table next to the white bed with white sheets. _Maybe white was a symbol of cleanliness._ Michael thought to himself groggily. A sense of panic dawned on him. _Where was he_? He thought to himself. And more importantly, _Where was Daniel?_

"Glad to see you are awake. Michael, is it?" Dr. Gray stood in the doorway. The boy in the hospital issued pajamas nodded. "Do you have a last name, son?"

"Callaway." Michael replied.

"Thank you. I'm doctor Stephen Gray." The doctor preceded to give Michael the standard information he had given Daniel. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"When can I see Daniel?"

Dr. Gray chuckled. "You and your brother think alike. That's exactly what he said too. You'll both get to see each other soon enough. He's across the hall. Are you in a lot of pain, Michael?"

Michael nodded, his face had turned a shade paler once the adrenaline wore off and the pain set in. The events of last night came flooding through his mind and he laid his head back onto the pillow with a groan. "Is Danny going to be okay?"

"I sure hope so, Michael. Only time can tell." Dr. Gray gave him a sympathetic smile before stepping back to allow the nurse through.

Nurse Camille had been waiting by the door and came forward once she had the go ahead from the head doctor. She gave the boy the same sedative she had given Daniel an hour ago. Michael didn't fight the inviting sleep, an escape from the pain. An escape from thoughts, feelings, and memories. An escape from reality.

Dr. Gray and Nurse Camille exited the room together. They were both thinking the same thing, it was only Camille who voiced it "If I ever get my hands on that bastard who hurt those boys, I'll tear his throat out. How anyone can cause harm to children as sweet as them is beyond me."

"I know Camille. It breaks my heart." Dr. Gray didn't want the boys to see each other because they both looked absolutely ghastly. If someone were to look at them they might think that the boys had survived a terrible car accident or had been mauled by a bear. Not attacked by the human being they called father. Dr. Gray sighed. The worst kind of monsters are the ones standing right next to you. Plain old human beings.

**What did you guys think? Please tell me in your review! Should I continue this or nah?**


	2. Chapter 2: Monster

**Hello, I'm back! I have decided to continue this story, thanks to some very kind reviews from LaurenHardy13, bookwriter-lover1212, and guest. So thank you so much! Ok enough of my babbling. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys, all rights belong to Franklin W. Dixon and the publishing company and other people that are not me. **

Chapter 2: Monster

(Michael is 11. Joe is 10)

Louis was roughly dragged into the drafty cell, and shackled to the bed. "Welcome home." One of the guards said dryly, before both guards left, slamming the barred door behind them. Louis groaned, and sat down on the uncomfortable bed. The cot had a single sheet and one pillow; both stained an old, musty yellow with brown and green blotches that Louis didn't care to look at.

He put his head in his hands and gently massaged his swollen face. It wasn't his fault the other inmates pissed him off, and it definitely wasn't his fault they had ganged up on him. All he did was fight back. They had told him that he was a piece of shit and deserved to die for abusing 'poor defenseless children.' Louis rolled his eyes. _If they only knew how intolerable his kids were… _Louis thought to himself, he bet that those men would have done the same thing.

He lay down on his back and stared up at the ceiling. There was a fly lazily drifting near the flickering fluorescent light. The bare cement walls were decorated with water stains and cracks, and there was a leak somewhere. Louis could hear the steady _drip drip drip_ of water hitting the solid concrete floor. "Why ain't there any beer in prison?" He muttered abstractly.

"I agree with you, man." A voice drifted over to Louis. "Would make this place a hell of a lot more bearable."

Louis turned his head toward the voice but could only see the outline of a man in the shadows. "Why am I even here? It ain't like I did anything wrong." He said.

"It's the government's way of punishing us. They'll take away any civil liberties they can to make you wanna change who you really are. Or make you feel ashamed of what you done." The voice was gruff but wise voice and came from the next cell over.

"Tell me 'bout it. They tell ya this is a free country then put restrictions on everythin'." Louis responded.

"Once you do something that is seen as 'wrong' you're automatically a criminal. I wanna know, who decides what's wrong and what's right."

"I guess the government. I'd like to give them a taste of this hellhole is like."

"It's a long process. First, your civil liberties and natural human rights are stripped away from you. They take away your freedom of movement, and your sense of individualism." He looked down at his orange jumpsuit. "Then they try to break you. Make you a good little boy again. Well that's not gonna happen with me." The man slammed his hand into the cement wall.

There was a long silence; the only sound was the steady _drip, drip, drip_. "What ya in here for?" Louis asked.

"Rape, embezzlement, armed robbery, selling drugs, kidnapping, murder. The list goes on. See, I'm a gang leader over in New York."

"Did you say murder?"

"Yeah. I can torture too. For a price. What you in for?" The New York accent came through.

"Kidnapping, Child abuse and neglect."

The man scoffed. "You went to jail for teaching your kids a lesson?"

"Wasn't anything the little pricks didn't deserve. When I get outta here I'll find them. They'll pay for what they did to me. It's them who should be in here. They killed my wife, their mother. Well, not really their mother. The woman who raised 'em." Louis sighed.

There was another long awkward pause. Until the man in the other cell made his way to the adjoining barred wall. Louis finally got a better look at him, and was almost scared.

The New Yorker was tall, and incredibly muscular. His legs looked like tree trunks and the orange jumpsuit was tight around his arms and abdomen, exposing his toned lean stomach. There was a tattoo of a snake on both forearms. He had a black mustache and cold hard eyes. His head was completely bald. "The name's Snake."

"L-Louis." The fat man felt quite small.

"I'll call you Freakshow. We gotta get you in shape before we get outta here. Once we do we're gonna find your kids, together. You, me and my gang. Tomorrow we start training."

Louis nodded. The buzzer sounded, signaling lights out and Snake drifted back towards his cot. Louis fell asleep quickly. He dreamt about the next time he and Snake crossed paths with Michael and Daniel. All of the pain they would inflict on the boys, the torture, the blood, the boys begging for mercy, and finally, the kill. He'd get his revenge, even if it killed him. Louis smiled in his sleep. _Drip, drip, drip, drip. _

**I hope you liked it! Since I only got three reviews for the last chapter let's say 5 reviews and you'll get an update. Ok? See you next time! Don't forget to tell me what you think in a review please. **


	3. Chapter 3: Uncertainty

**Hello again! Thanks for sticking with this story and I know it's frustrating when I don't update which I apologize greatly for. When I said 5 reviews and you'd get an update, I didn't think that would happen that fast. But I'm happy for them! So I'm sorry to say this but after this chapter I have to put this story on a temporary hiatus until school lets out. I'm swamped with homework, essays, and auditions, and I'm really struggling in calculus. I'll pick it back up again in June. Sorry again. **

**Bookwriter-lover: Thank you! And neither did I until I wrote it down. **

**LaurenHardy: Hope this has the brotherly moment you were looking for. But I must warn you I'm not very good with touching moments. **

**Cait: Hmmmmmm. I don't think so. Lol **

**Lizzie: Here you go**

**JackFrost: Thanks and I will try**

**LLTIF: Thanks I'll try **

Chapter 3: Uncertainty

(Frank is 11, Joe is 10)

The bright sunlight filtered in through the blinds, bathing the sleeping boy in the hospital bed. Michael opened his eyes, slowly taking in his surroundings. He had had a nightmare that a psycho had forced him hurt Daniel and now his brother wasn't speaking to him. _Oh wait,_ Michael groaned, _that wasn't a dream._

The day before, Dr. Gray had moved Daniel's bed into Michael's room. Michael had tried to talk to his brother several times, only to be met with silence and a cold stare. Michael didn't know what to do; he wanted to apologize but didn't know how. He was just thinking of something to say when Daniel started thrashing around in the bed. He let out an ear piercing scream.

Michael jumped up. "Daniel!" He yelled. Michael made his way over to the other bed as fast as his broken body would carry him, ripping out all the machines in the process. Michael started shaking Daniel, gently at first then harder, he was panicking. Daniel just screamed louder. "Daniel! Daniel, wake up!" Silent tears were dripping down the boy's face.

Daniel calmed down suddenly and opened his eyes. His body was covered in a layer of cold sweat and his eyes were filled with fear. "Please don't hurt me anymore." He looked directly at the other boy as he whimpered these incriminating words that made Michael feel like a failure.

"Oh, little brother. I'm so sorry." Michael's vision blurred with tears as he brushed damp hair off his brother's forehead.

"Don't touch me!" Daniel flinched and tried to move as far away from Michael as possible.

Suddenly, the door burst open and in rushed Doctor Gray and Nurse Camille. "You are not supposed to be out of bed!" Nurse Camille shrieked at Michael. When he and Daniel flinched. Camille immediately softened her tone. "Michael please get back into bed." She calmly reinserted the IV into Michael's wrist.

Meanwhile Doctor Gray was checking Daniel over. "Did you have a nightmare, Daniel?" He asked gently while checking the boy's vitals and writing on a clipboard.

"Y-yes, sir." Daniel whispered, barely audible.

"Would you like to tell me about it?" Doctor Gray gently prodded.

"Um, no sir" Daniel replied and averted his eyes. How was he supposed to tell the man that his dream was about his brother plunging a knife into his heart?

The man frowned. "Suit yourself. Maybe you'll open up to Michael?" Dr. Gray knew Daniel was blocking out his older brother. He just didn't know why. "Would you like something to help you sleep?"

"No, sir." Daniel was determined to get through this with as little drugs as he could.

"Alright. But son? You don't have to call me sir." The young doctor said lightheartedly.

"Yes sir." Daniel smiled at the man. "I mean, Doctor Gray."

After getting both boys comfortable, Dr. Gray and Nurse Camille left, leaving the two boys alone in the quaint room.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Michael asked a few minutes after the door closed. The silence was unbearable.

Daniel didn't say a word. Just continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Come on. You can't keep this up forever."

"Sure I can." Daniel said defiantly, and then mentally kicked himself.

Michael signed. At least he was getting somewhere. "Listen, I'm really sorry about all this, and-"

"You promised." Daniel broke in. His voice sounded distant.

"What?"

"You promised you would never hurt me."

Michael felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. "I'm so sorry Danny. I'm so sorry. Please understand that I had no choice. Dad made me. He had a knife to your throat. Don't you remember?" Michael was on the verge of tears.

"H-he did? I didn't know that." It was true. All Daniel remembered was Michael beating the crap out of him and trying to kill him. "Dad was there?"

"Dad's the one that did this to us! Why on earth would I hurt you intentionally? If I did this to you, don't you think I'd be the one behind bars? Let alone sharing a room with you?" Michael was ecstatic.

"Oh, yeah. I guess so." He had never thought about that. "But you did hurt me." His blue eyes clouded.

"Yes, I know I did. And I feel terrible about it. I would have never done it if it wasn't for dad threatening your life."

There was a moment of silence. "I'm sorry, Michael."

"Sorry for what?" Michael was surprised, what did Daniel have to apologize for?

"For everything. Ignoring you, blaming you..."

"It's ok little brother. I think Dr. Gray said you had a concussion. It probably messed with your memory."

There was a minute of silence. "Michael?" Daniel said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Love you too, Danny."

Both boys fell asleep with a feeling of hope. Things were finally going to change.

Two weeks later, two boys stepped into a cozy, well-furnished house in Bayport New York. "Welcome to your new home, boys." Fenton said happily as he set their luggage by the stairs. Laura and Gertrude came out of the kitchen with freshly baked cookies and overjoyed smiles on their faces.

Michael and Daniel didn't know what to do. They stood awkwardly by the front door until Fenton offered them a seat on the couch. When they took their seats, Fenton and Laura pulled chairs up to face the couch. The boys felt very uncomfortable, they snuggled closer to each other.

"Boys, this is my wife, Laura. And my sister, Gertrude." Fenton began, feeling the tension in the air.

"Hi." Daniel mumbled.

"Good to meet you." Michael nodded at the two women who smiled kindly.

"We're so happy to welcome you into our home." Laura graciously threw her arms around the children, but withdrew quickly when they both flinched. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." She was crushed; Fenton put an arm around her to comfort her.

"Would you kids like a cookie?" Gertrude offered them the platter and smiled as each boy took one of her famous chocolate chip cookies.

"Would you like to tell us about yourselves?" Fenton asked kindly.

The boys exchanged a glance. "Well I'm Michael, I'm eleven. This is my brother, Daniel. He's ten."

"Ok. I'm sure you're tired from the trip; let me show you your rooms." Fenton saw the boys were not going to talk at the moment.

Fenton led them upstairs and down the long hallway. "This'll be your room Michael." He set the small suitcase next to the door and walked to the next door. "Daniel this is yours. There's an adjoining bathroom inside."

"We can't share a room?" Michael asked.

"There's only one bed in each room and I doubt you'll both fit in one." Fenton said. "But we can make it work for tonight." He quickly countered when seeing their faces fall.

The boys nodded, relief washing over their faces.

"Well I'll leave you alone now so you can get acquainted with the surroundings. Make yourselves at home and yell if you need anything. Dinner will be at six. How does spaghetti and meatballs sound?"

Both boys smiled and nodded vigorously.

"Ok. I'll leave you to it then." Fenton smiled reassuringly. He turned his back and started walking down the hallway.

"Thank you." Came the quiet unison voices.

"You're welcome." He replied as he descended the stairs.

The boys went into their new bedroom and closed the door. The room was spacious with a small single sized bed with the headboard pushed up against the wall. The walls themselves were painted a shade of green and had various pictures. There were two matching oak dressers one either side of the bed. The entire room was flooded in sunlight that came in through two windows on the far wall.

Michael and Daniel sat down at the foot of the bed. "So what do you think?" Michael asked, referring to the Hardy's.

"I don't know. They _seem_ nice. But people are not always what they seem." Daniel said sullenly.

"I guess we'll find out more at dinner." Michael replied as he lay down on his back. "But it sure is nice is finally sleep in a bed."

"I think I'll go check out the other room." Daniel muttered and crossed through the bathroom into the other room. It was mostly the same, except the walls were blue and on the dresser was a picture frame. As Daniel neared it, he saw that it was a family portrait of the Hardy's, but they were younger and had two small children in their arms. The date on the back of the picture was June 11, there was no year. The scene was bright and happy the Hardy's were by a lake and were caught mid laughter. It was a jubilant photo that made Daniel smile. He went back to the other room to show Michael the picture, but the older boy was already asleep. Mr. Hardy was right when he said the beds were small.

_Who are these boys? Where are they now?_ Daniel wondered aimlessly as he went back into the other room for a nap of his own.


	4. Chapter 4: Dinner and a Show

**I'm baaaaaacccccckkkkkk! Hello! First I would like to thank everyone for being so patient while I finished school and everything. You're all fantastic! **

**LaurenHardy13- Thanks! I'm really bad at fluffy moments, but there's one in this chapter. **

**LLTIF- Yay! Thanks! That made my day… again **

**Guest- Thanks! Here you go… **

**Hardydrewsgirl- Whoaaaaa! I'd tell you to calm down but I'm laughing to hard! Sorry to make you wait so long! I'm trying to add more detail, I just don't want to be one of those authors that drags EVERYTHING. But hopefully this is more descriptive. *Takes and eats motivational cookie***

Chapter 4: Dinner and a Show

(Frank is 11. Joe is 10)

It was six o'clock sharp as Fenton climbed the stairs to rouse the boys. For the past two hours, Laura and Gertrude had slaved away in the kitchen preparing a meal of salad, garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs, and apple pie for desert. Gertrude's pie had won first place in the state fair and was a guaranteed hit with the boys.

Fenton smiled as he poked his head into the first bedroom. As he stepped closer to the bed, his smile turned into a frown and his brown eyes filled with tears. Daniel lay on his back on top of the bedspread. His blonde hair fell lightly over his closed eye lids. It was what was in his hands that made Fenton tear up. Daniel held the last picture of the four Hardy's before Fenton's world had been torn apart.

The elder Hardy would never forget the day that picture was taken. It was the second weekend in June, and close to Frank's birthday. The family of four took a weeks' vacation to Belmont Lake State Park. Fenton's friend in the force, Sam Radley had a lake house down there and rented it to the Hardy's for free.

The quaint cottage was set far back, right next to the lake. The cabin was a painted a soft cream with black shutters and a red door. There was a wooden boardwalk that led from the front door to the edge of the water. At the end of the dock was a sleek motorboat painted blue with the name Angel scrawled on the side in white. Fenton remembered how much the boys loved that boat. He had promised them when Joe turned sixteen they could get a boat of their own.

It was a beautiful week. The sun shone brightly through the sparse clouds, drenching everything the light touched in a warm glow. There was a soft breeze that rustled the tall grass next to the lake. Fish gulped at the surface, catching bugs and birds chirped from the trees. Fenton and Laura were sitting in comfy lounge chairs on the front deck, enjoying the scenery and watching the boys play. Frank and Joe were playing on a rope swing which was attached to a tree near the water and the boys were taking turns swinging from the rope into the lake. They were both wearing floaties on their arms, due to the fact that neither could swim yet.

Gertrude sauntered out of the house and onto the freshly laid wooden deck with the family Polaroid camera. "Family photo!" She called, Fenton and Laura rose from their seats and the boys came running, shrugging off their floaties in the process.

"Ok, now Fenton, pick up Joe, and Laura do the same with Frank." The woman commanded.

Fenton playfully rolled his eyes but did as he was told, Laura grinned but followed suit.

The parents glanced at each other, and shared a discreet smile, mentally communicating in ways only parents understood.

"Say cheese!"

Fenton and Laura began to tickle the boys, making them laugh, and inspiring joyful smiles to light up their faces. At that exact moment, Gertrude snapped the picture. With the lake scenery as a backdrop, the photo turned out gorgeous.

Fenton sat down on the edge of the bed, tears still coating his cheeks. He gently removed the picture from Daniel's hand and set it back on the nightstand. The small boy stirred, and began to wake. Fenton quickly wiped his eyes and smiled. However, he didn't expect the first sound to come out of Daniel's mouth to be a scream.

Fenton jumped up from the bed, horrified. Daniel shot up into a sitting position and scooted back until he was leaning against the headboard. Footsteps could be heard hurrying up the stairs, and Michael came running into the room, his brown eyes blazing.

"What did you do to him?" He yelled, rushing over to his brother, who looked at him, concern filling his face.

"Michael, please calm down, I didn't do anything to him. I was just going to wake him up for dinner." Fenton put up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"He didn't hurt me, Michael. Just scared me." Daniel mumbled, his eyes downcast.

By that time, Laura and Gertrude had made it up the stairs and were lingering in the doorway. _What happened?_ Laura mouthed to her husband.

_Help me_ his eyes told her.

"Michael, sweetheart, it's okay. Why don't you and Daniel come down and eat. You must be hungry." Laura stepped in kindly.

The boys' stomachs rumbled loudly, they looked at each other and nodded.

"Okay then. See you two downstairs." Laura said as the three adults exited the room.

As soon as the door closed Michael turned to Daniel. "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?"

"Yeah." Daniel said as he got off the bed. "I was asleep and when I woke up he was sitting there and..." He drifted off looking at the floor.

"And what?" Michael inquired.

"And, for a second, I thought he was Dad."

There was a moment of silence as the last sentence sunk in. Then, Michael enveloped Daniel in a hug. "I won't let that monster hurt you ever again. You got that?"

Daniel nodded into Michael's chest.

"Good. Now let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."

They sat at the table in silence. The only sound that could be heard was the clinking of forks on plates as the boys ate hungrily. They had never had a meal this good, much less a meal at all.

"This is very good, Ms. Hardy." Daniel said in between bites.

"Thank you, Daniel. I'm glad you like it."

"And Mr. Hardy, I'm sorry for yelling at you." Michael apologized to Fenton.

"It's alright, son. I understand." Fenton and Laura glanced at each uncertainly. "Do you want to hear about us?"

The boys nodded as they ate their spaghetti.

"Ok, well, my name is Fenton Hardy, I'm almost forty years old. I used to work for the New York Police Department, but now I'm a private investigator. This is my wife Laura who works at an attorney's office, and my sister, Gertrude. She works at a grocery store down the street."

"If you don't mind me asking, sir. Why did you leave the police department?" Michael asked.

The three adults glanced at each other as Fenton continued the story with a heavy heart.

"Well boys, about eight years ago, Laura and I had two children, Frank and Joseph. They were the loves of our lives. We were just a typical family living here, in New York."

Laura picked it up. "We were so happy here. They loved to go to the park, just up the street. Frank had just turned three and Joe was two when _it_ happened."

"It was the Fourth of July, and the boys wanted to see fireworks for the first time." Gertrude added.

"It was about two o'clock in the afternoon when I woke the boys up. We walked to the park and joined our friends, the Morton's, for a barbecue. The Morton's had a son named Chet and he was friends with Frank and Joe. At first, the boys were playing together, then they ate a hearty meal and Chet wanted to take a nap, but our boys wanted to keep playing, so we sent them to the playground with a ball to play catch." Fenton's eyes were moist with unshed tears.

"That was the last we ever saw of them." Laura whispered, and Fenton took her hand.

"We searched everywhere. The only thing we ever found was Joey's hat. The police couldn't find anything either. They told us the boys could have run away, but we knew better. They wouldn't do anything without telling us. Our boys were taken from us and it destroyed our family." Gertrude said, tears running down her cheeks.

"I quit the force to look for them on my own. The department was wrapped up in another case. So, I became a private investigator." Fenton reiterated.

"The boys in the photo?" Daniel asked.

Fenton nodded. That was taken at the lake a few weeks before they were kidnapped.

"What photo?" Michael turned to Daniel.

"It's upstairs. It's a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Hardy with two children." He answered.

There was a pause. "Did you ever find them?" Daniel asked quietly.

Before Fenton could answer, the doorbell rang. When he answered the door, he was greeted by Officer Con Riley, Officer Sam Radley, and a man Fenton didn't recognize.

"Hey fellows, what can I do for you?" Fenton asked his former co-workers.

"We're here to collect statements from Michael and Daniel Callaway." Officer Riley replied, and the three men entered the house.

**Okedokey! I hope you all liked that chapter. Please don't forget to review. If anyone knows anything about lawyers or trials and stuff please let me know. I need some help for the next chapter. REVIEW for me PLEASE! Love you all!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm

**Hello again! I am so sorry, I would have had this chapter up sooner but there was a problem with our internet connection. Ok, I hope you're all having a good summer **

**Raven678- Sorry! And thanks! **

**Hardydrewsgirl- YAY! I really tried to put as much detail as possible in that last chapter and hopefully this one too. Ok, I feel like a genie, your wish has been granted. It was a great suggestion cause I needed a lawyer for the boys. Haha but one question, is Elizabeth his husband? Sorry it's been awhile since I've read Nancy Drew. **

Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm

(Frank/Michael is 11. Joe/Daniel is 10.)

The men sat on chairs opposite of the couch where the Hardy's and Callaway's were seated. The strange man Fenton didn't recognize had introduced himself as Carson Drew, the boys' lawyer. He was a handsome man in his late thirty's with chocolate colored hair with a slight cowlick and livid blue eyes. He was dressed business casual in a pair of slacks and a dress shirt with a black tie.

Drew cleared his throat and began the traditional speech. "Ok boys, we're going to build a case against your father. We're going to try to make sure he'll never hurt anyone ever again. So we're going to need your full cooperation for the next few weeks. Can you do that?"

The boys nodded.

"Ok, this may be a little hard to grasp. But there are no birth records for Michael and Daniel Callaway. At least none belonging to Louis and Vivian Callaway. The first records that we have are school records starting about five years ago. Just to make sure, we took blood samples from both of you and Mr. Callaway. They do not match. There is no evidence that you and the Callaway's are related."

An eerie silence filled the room before Laura broke it. "So what does that mean?" She asked, confused.

"It means that Mr. Callaway can never claim possession of these boys. He is not the father, there is no DNA relation. He cannot be a legal guardian. Basically, even if we lose this case, Louis and Vivian Callaway will not be given custody of the boys." The lawyer smiled as faces lit up around the room.

"But-" Michael began.

"How?" Daniel finished.

"We're no sure. We were hoping to get the full story from you guys and then put the pieces together like a puzzle." Officer Radley answered.

"But to establish an unbeatable case, we're going to need to start from the beginning. You can't leave out any details." Officer Riley spoke up.

The boys were silent. They didn't know where to begin.

"Why don't you start with the first thing you remember, Michael?" Fenton pushed.

"Um," Michael scrunched up his face trying to remember where it all started. "I remember being happy." Michael stated. "I remember playing catch with Danny. And the ball went into the woods, and someone, I think it was Mom, had told me to watch out for him. So we both went into the woods to get the ball. Then we woke up in a room."

"What kind of room?" Asked Drew.

"Like a bedroom. The walls were white, and there was only one mattress. But we woke up on the mattress. I think Daniel had a cut or something cause his head was bleeding pretty bad." Michael continued.

"Where? Where was the cut?" Radley asked, scribbling away on a notepad.

Michael turned to his brother and smoothed back his blonde hair. He put his finger on a faint scar above Daniel's right eyebrow. "Here." He said. The scar was photographed.

"Then what happened?" Fenton wanted him to continue.

"I'm not really sure. We went downstairs, and he was really angry." No one needed clarification as to who 'he' was.

"There was something about our names that he didn't like. Then, I remember being in

pain, and we were thrown into a closet. And I think I said something like 'let's just go by Michael and Daniel for now.'"

The three men scribbled furiously. "Do you remember what your names were before he made you change them?" Riley questioned.

"Ummm, something like Freddy, and maybe James?" Michael questioned himself. Daniel nodded. "You used to call me Jamsey sometimes, I think." He added. Fenton and Laura stared at each other with eyes the size of dinner plates, but remained silent.

"Ok. Um, has Mr. Callaway ever hit you before?" Radley knew the answer, but they needed the official statement from the boys.

Michael and Daniel exchanged a glance. "Yeah." Daniel muttered.

"How often?" The lawyer pushed.

"At least twice a day." Michael said. "Each." He added quickly.

"Did he ever drink?" Carson asked.

The boys nodded.

"Were the beatings worse when he was drunk?"

The boys nodded again.

"Can you list the implements he used?"

Michael's ears went red. "P-pretty much anything he could get his hands on, wooden s-spoons, belts, the belt buckle, k-knives, a horse whip, cords, hammers, a sock filled with two oranges, frying pans, vases, lamps, chairs, lit cigarettes, his beer bottles."

"And his fists, and hands, and feet." Daniel added quietly.

"I know this question is going to stir up some bad memories. But can you both describe some of your worst beatings from him?" The lawyer smiled gently as Fenton and Laura put their hands on the boys shoulders.

Daniel bit his lip. "Ummmm, I guess I was about six or seven, and I got sick at school and he had to come pick me up. He came in and was flirting with the school secretary, he was actually really nice to the school staff. Until we got into the car and he punched me in the jaw. Then when we got home he still made me do all the chores, and I was cooking lunch, and I guess I wasn't working fast enough because he came in and slapped me a couple of times. Then he grabbed me by my hair and slammed me into the stove and held my head there. He turned on the gas burner and laughed as my face was charred. "

Michael reached into his back pocket and pulled out a journal. "This is my Injury Diary. I started it when I was about five. The beginning is mostly pictures, but then it turns into sentences and paragraphs. I wrote down every time he ever hit us."

For hours the boys took turns telling gruesome stories about their experiences in West Virginia. They used the diary as both reference and proof. By the end, both boys were shaking and had tears streaming down their faces, while the adults were clenching their fists and their jaws in pure anger.

"That journal will be very useful in court. Mind if I hold on to it?" Riley asked kindly, and Michael handed over the book.

"There's just one more question." Carson Drew was almost in tears himself, "What happened to Vivian? She wasn't in the house, and no one's seen her for a few days."

It was deathly quiet in the living room before Daniel said, "He killed her." Barley above a whisper.

"What?" Con Riley heard, but he couldn't believe it.

"We got home and she was tied to the kitchen table. He made us sit down and watch as he-" Daniel stopped talking as memories clouded his vision.

"He what, son?" Carson asked sympathetically.

"He cut her tongue out." Daniel continued, his voice was hardly audible.

The adults held back gasps.

"I didn't want him to hurt Mom so I jumped on him, but he stabbed me in the thigh." He rolled up his shorts and the officers photographed the still present gash. "He-he made us cut out her eyes." Daniel continued, his voice shaking. "I cut out one, Michael cut out the other. Then he stabbed her and made us bury the body. We really liked her, she was so nice. She was finally caring for us like a mother should." Daniel cried harder and Michael and the Hardy's comforted him.

"After we buried Mom, he wanted us to come to the barn, but we ran to the old church, but he found us and took us back to the barn and strung up Daniel with chains. He said we were going to play a game, he tried to get Daniel to admit to killing Mom. Every time we denied it, he would punish him. He would punch him, and whip him, and cut him. I thought he was going to kill him! Then he made me hurt Daniel, and when I wouldn't do that, he beat me. Until, Mr. Hardy stepped in." Now, Michael was sobbing.

"Why? Why did he kill her?" Sam Radley was astounded. Sure Mr. Callaway was a violent man, but now the officer suspected he was clinically insane.

"Um, he was cheating on Mom with this woman named Christine. Mom came home one day and caught him, so she hid a picture of her sister' husband Mike, in her purse. He found it and thought she was having an affair with Uncle Mike, but she wasn't and he got so mad." Michael stared at the floor.

"I know I said this before, but just one more question, where did you bury Vivian?" Drew asked, he held his poker face, but inside he was shocked. They weren't just dealing with a child abuser; they were also dealing with a murderer.

"Fourteen steps West, and six steps North of the barn entrance." Michael replied as Con Riley relayed the information into his radio.

"Okay boys, that's all we needed from you today. With this testimony, Michael's Injury Diary, and the photographs from the hospital we should have a solid case. Just to warn you, the judge may ask you to testify. All you have to do is tell the truth. Thanks for your time, all of you." Carson Drew nodded to each Hardy before Fenton led him to the front door.

"Oh Fenton, the judge and defense will most definitely want you to testify as an eyewitness account." The lawyer said.

"That's fine, Mr. Drew. I would do anything to protect these boys." Fenton replied.

"You know I have a daughter of my own who's around Michael's age. If anyone did anything to harm my Nancy, I'd kill them." Drew took a moment to collect his composure. "I'm glad you're handling this so well."

"Trust me, Carson, it's hard not to find the bastard and strangle the life out of him." Fenton said as he opened the door and showed Carson Drew out of the Hardy home.

A few hours later, the boys were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying huge pieces of Gertrude's apple pie. Fenton, Laura and Gertrude were in the living room, discussing the events of the afternoon.

"What do you think, Fenton?" Gertrude asked her brother.

"I think these boys have been to Hell and back." He replied solemnly.

"But do you think they're Frank and Joey?" Laura inquired.

Before Fenton could answer, the doorbell rang, and he and Laura went to answer it. Fenton opened the door to see an ecstatic Dr. Bates, the family physician.

"Hello, Fenton, Laura. Sorry for showing up unannounced, but I have some amazing news." Dr. Bates greeted the Hardy's with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He was quickly ushered into the entryway.

"Dr. Bates, it's good to see you. What was your news?" Laura said politely.

"Fenton, you remember when you asked Dr. Stephen Gray to run a DNA test on the boys?" Bates continues excitedly.

Fenton nodded.

"The test results are in, and I have come here personally to tell you that Michael and Daniel Callaway are indeed Frank and Joe Hardy!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Don't worry, Freakshow." Snake said quietly as Louis did push-ups in the jail cell. "No matter how the trial goes, I have a plan."

Louis stood up. "What kind of plan?"

"A plan for revenge." The two laughed manically, as the lights went out, signaling bedtime in the prison.

**Thanks for reading everyone! And don't forget to review for me please! I promise the next chapter will be the court case. If anyone knows anything about trials and court please PM me, and help me with this next chapter. Thanks again, and please review. **


	6. Chapter 6: Dancing in the Rain

**Hey! Ok, so I'm super sorry (again) my internet is... Fucked up. I don't know what's wrong with it. It'll go in and out like every minute. But good news, I'm at the beach this week and am using their Wifi. So remember when I said this will be the trial chapter? I lied. Sorry. I really don't know how to write that. So... Help?**

**Hardydrewsgirl- Ehhhhh, I don't know. How often do lawyers and their clients hang out? And oh my god EWWW, that would be so weird. Frank is like 11. I'm 17 and I haven't dated anyone or kissed anyone or anything. Haha. And I honestly don't like the whole Frank/Nancy thing. Franklin W. Dixon wrote Frank/Callie, so I'll stick to that. Sorry about that. And yeah last choppy wasn't the best, I had no idea interrogations could last more than one day! *gasps* yeah, I'm not that good with emotional touchy stuff. But I'm trying :) there's a little one in this chapter. The last part of your review made me laugh really hard. **

**Redcakemaine- awwww thanks! Haha don't worry my brain only works on Wednesdays. :D**

**Uhoh- heh I tried. Like I said my internet connection was being stupid. **

Chapter 6: Dancing in the Rain 

(Frank/Michael is 11. Joe/Daniel is 10) 

Fenton and Laura's eyes brimmed with tears of joy as Dr. Bates beamed at them. They finally had their boys back! They finally had answers! Fenton's eyes narrowed as he recalled the boys' scarring past. This case was personal now, no one hurts Fenton Hardy's kids and gets away with it.

"Would you like me to help explain the genetics to the boys?" Dr. Bates pulled Fenton from his trance and he nodded.

"Just give us a second to tell Gertrude." Laura smiled happily at her husband, and the duo rushed down the hall to Gertrude's first floor bedroom.

They opened the door to find Gertrude pouring over photo albums that were spread across her flowered bedspread.

She looked up as Fenton and Laura entered the room. "Who was at the door?" The prudent woman inquired.

Fenton moved a photo album and sat down next to his sister, he took her hand. "That was Dr. Bates. Gertrude, Frank and Joe are alive!" He told her excitedly. "In fact, they're sitting in our kitchen, enjoying your pie as we speak!"

Gertrude gasped, then broke down into tears of happiness as she clutched a photo to her chest.

_The photo was taken on Joe's second Christmas, their last Christmas as a family. Frank had been looking forward to this day for over six months and woke his parents and brother promptly at four in the morning to open presents. _

_He came into the Hardy's bedroom and jumped on their bed until they got up. Laura had told him to go wake up Gertrude, who had spent the night, while she got Joe. Frank had ran down the stairs and leapt into the guest bed, where his Aunt slept peacefully. "Ok, ok, Frank! I'm up!" She had said briskly. Frank jumped off the bed and ran into the living room. _

_He stopped dead in awe. The fresh evergreen tree was decorated beautifully in lights, candy canes and ribbons, as well as glass and homemade ornaments. The gold star was placed perfectly at the top of the tree. But Frank was gazing at the base of the tree, which was surrounded by lavishly wrapped presents, and full stockings hanging from the mantle above the lit fireplace. _

_"Frank, pose with Aunty Gertrude and Joey, in front of the tree for me please." Laura straightened her eldest son's Santa hat pajamas. She handed a still groggy Joe to Gertrude as Frank wrapped his arms around his favorite Aunt. They smiled brightly as the camera flashed. _

Gertrude was pulled from her memory by Fenton who was gently squeezing her hand. "Have you told them yet?" She asked softly.

Laura shook her head. "We were going to tell them after we told you."

"Well, let's not waste any more time!" Gertrude chided.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The elder Hardy's and Dr. Bates joined the young boys at the kitchen table. The boys were still enjoying their pie and even had small pieces of the crust on their small faces.

An awkward silence filled the room. Fenton didn't know where to begin. Or how to break the news.

"This is very good pie, Miss. Hardy." Michael broke the silence hesitantly.

"Thank you, Fr-Michael. But you can call me Gertrude." Their biological aunt said kindly.

Fenton cleared his throat. "Boys, there's something we need to discuss."

He was met by anticipated silence and blank stares.

"This is Dr. Bates, our physician." Fenton introduced the man and he shook each boys hand.

"Well, when I first saw you in that barn on that night," He paused, seeing the boys physically cringe at the memory. "It struck something deep in my heart. You looked so very familiar and I just had to be sure. I asked Doctor Gray to run a DNA test on you both, and the results just came in." He gestured to Dr. Bates, who was sitting next to Fenton. "You remember how we lost our sons all those years back?" The boys nodded. "Well, we found them." Fenton finished smiling.

"So, now that you found your sons, do you not want us anymore?" Daniel asked, not fully understanding.

"No honey, of course not! I don't think you understand. What Fenton is trying to say is-" Gertrude said before being quickly interrupted by Fenton.

"You are our missing sons."

The clatter of forks hitting the hard wood flooring was the only sound to be heard in the house.

"Oh my God." Muttered Daniel after a moment, gazing into his plate as if it might have answers.

"How do you know?" Asked Michael, dumbfounded.

"As Fenton was saying, he asked Dr. Gray to run a DNA sample, and there is direct correlation to Fenton and Laura. It proves that they are your biological parents." Dr. Bates stepped in to explain.

"What we think happened is, Louis was waiting in the woods on July 4th." Fenton continued softly. "And when you went in to get your ball, he grabbed you."

"But, how can that be? That doesn't make any sense! Why? And what if the tests are wrong?" Michael was full of questions.

Dr. Bates scoffed. "I assure you, my boy, they are not."

"So, you're our, our real parents?" Daniel questioned.

"Yes, Daniel. We are." Laura smiled, her eyes brimmed with tears.

"How did you know where to find us?" The blonde boy was willing to accept the news.

"I didn't. It was a call from one of your teachers. She saw one of our missing persons posters and recalled Daniel's eyes. She called police who called me."

"Then, what now?" Michael asked, reality sinking in.

"I guess you should call Mr. Drew and share the news with him. It might help the case." Dr. Bates said to Fenton as he got up to leave. It was out of his hands now.

Gertrude and Laura showed Dr. Bates to the door, and the boys went upstairs to their rooms, while Fenton called Carson Drew.

"What!" The man was in shock. "Yes, yes of course this helps the case! It will be easier for you two to get custody of the boys."

"Fantastic!" Fenton said and said his goodbyes.

Meanwhile

"I don't know how to handle this." Daniel told Michael as they sat on the bed in the elder boys room.

"I guess just go with it" Michael paused, gathering his thoughts. "I think, deep down in our hearts, we knew Louis and Viv were not our real parents. Parents are supposed to love their children, and they didn't love us for a second."

"Mom did." Daniel said quietly. "Before i killed her."

Michael got up from the bed and got down on his knees in front of the bed. "Do not say that. You did not kill her. Louis killed her. He tried to manipulate you in to thinking that so you'd take the blame and not him. He is not our father, he is the man who kidnapped us, abused us, killed his wife and then tried to kill us. You did nothing wrong."

Daniel sniffled. "So, what do we do now?"

"I think we should give the Hardy's a chance. I find it a little hard to believe, but DNA doesn't lie. They are our parents, and Miss. Hardy is our Aunt. Let's put the past behind us and move on with our new lives." Michael said gallantly.

"Sounds good, Michael." Daniel smiled.

Michael scowled. "Those are the names Louis gave us. A big part of moving on would be to go by our birth names." He smiled. "And plus, I think Frank sounds a lot smarter than Michael."

"I think I like Joe better too!" The smaller boy exclaimed.

"Than it's settled. We live out our childhood here, as Frank and Joe Hardy." The boys rushed to tell the Hardy's the good news.

"Hi boys, what's up?" Laura asked, seeing the boys come down the stairs.

"It may take a little getting used to, but we accept the fact that we are your sons." Michael smiled weakly.

Laura and Fenton beamed at them. "That's fantastic, Michael. Thank you."

"We've decided to put our past behind us. And part of that is going by our real names." Michael continued.

Fenton and Laura's smiles widened. "Ok, Frank. That sounds perfect. Why don't you guys get ready for bed, then come back downstairs and watch TV with us for a bit?"

"That sounds nice. See you in a few minutes." Joe said as he and Frank raced up the stairs to put on their pajamas and brush their teeth.

"They're being so mature." Laura commented to Fenton. "Is that normal?"

"I think they just want to forget about the Callaway's and their brains are repressing the memories. It is perfectly normal." He put his arm around his wife and steered her towards the living room, where Mickey Mouse cartoons were playing.

Fenton was in the kitchen getting a beer when he heard the sound of pattering feet coming down the stairs. He headed into the living room and sat on the couch next to Laura.

"Ok, we're-" Joe's excitement died the second he saw the beer bottle in Fenton's hand.

"What's wrong, Joe?" Fenton asked, seeing the color drain from his youngest son's face.

"Whenever Louis drank, he would hurt us." Frank said quietly.

It was Fenton's turn to go pale. "Oh boys, I'm so sorry. I totally forgot." He went to the sink and poured his alcohol down the sink, vowing never to drink again.

After that, the family enjoyed a nice night together. They laughed, joked, watched tv and played games until Frank and Joe fell asleep on the couch.

"They're precious." Gertrude said as she helped the couple carry the children upstairs to their bedrooms.

Once each boy was tucked in, Laura planted a kiss on each of their foreheads. "I'll never let anyone hurt you, I promise."

The adults left the room, turning off the lights and closing the door quietly. Then they turned in for a good nights sleep.

**XXXXXXONE WEEK LATERXXXXXXX**

The sound of pure terror awoke the Hardy's at approximately two in the morning about one week later. By that time a terrible thunderstorm was showering the house in lightning and rain.

"The boys!" Laura exclaimed.

The couple ran as fast as they could down the hall and into Frank's room, followed quickly by Gertrude. Seeing the bed unoccupied, they raced through the bathroom and flung open the door to Joe's room. The poor boy was on the floor and had his head buried into Frank's chest. His shoulders shook with sobs.

Laura, Fenton and Gertrude rushed to Joe's side. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" Laura was panicking. She tried to put her hand on the quivering boy's shoulder, but he flinched at her touch and shrugged her off.

"Don't touch me. Please." He whispered, his voice full of desperation.

"He had a nightmare, that's all. It's nothing I can't handle." Frank said, his eyes never leaving Joe. "Sorry for waking you, go back to bed."

"Honey, are you sure? We can help." Laura tried to console the boys, but was lead away by Fenton.

"Turn on the lights on your way out." Frank asked. Gertrude flicked the light switch, but nothing happened.

"Power outage." She muttered, and left to find flashlights.

Out in the hallway, Fenton held a crying Laura to his chest. "They need time alone, Sugar. Joe only wants Frank's company right now. We have to respect that."

"I know, It just hurts me to see them like that, and I can't do anything about it." She whispered.

The couple listened through the door as Frank began consoling Joe.

"What was it about?" He asked calmly.

"I saw Mom. Like I did in the church. She was d-dead." The blonde boy was shivering and his pajama top was soaked in a cold sweat.

"Is it the storm?" Frank asked quietly, still holding his brother.

"I guess." Joe mumbled.

"Let's go downstairs. Maybe find something to eat."

Fenton and Laura dashed downstairs as they heard the boys move towards the door. They were sitting on the couch when the boys came down the stairs.

"Everything ok, boys?" Fenton asked, seeing Joe still shaken up.

"Yeah. It's just the storm." Joe responded weakly.

"You know, Joe, rain is Poseidon's tears of joy, the lightning is Zeus' way of target practice, and the thunder? That's their laughter. See, they're playing a game." Fenton retold the story that his father told him.

"Really?" Joe asked, intrigue filling his eyes.

"Yup. And the only way to block out the noise is to dance in the rain." The older man grinned, seeing looks of bewilderment on the boys faces. "So go get dressed! Quickly!"

The boys were stunned, dance in the rain? What did that mean? But they did as they were told and threw on T-shirts and shorts.

"You can't be serious, Fenton! What will the neighbors think?" Gertrude whispered harshly.

"Nonsense." Fenton replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

When the boys came back down the stairs, Fenton, Laura and Gertrude were dressed, and had two yellow rain coats for their sons.

The five stepped outside into the pouring rain. It was mid-August so the water was fairly warm. Laura glanced uncertainly at Fenton, but he smiled and took her hand and led her off the safety of the front porch and into the front lawn. Laura continued to give her husband a questioning look as her bed clothes quickly began to become heavy with water. Fenton's smile widened and to her astonishment, started dancing with her.

A loud boom of thunder caused Joe to tremble as lightning lit up the night sky.

"Come on, dance!" Fenton laughed as he kicked some water onto Gertrude's nightgown, trying to lighten the mood.

The woman looked sourly at her brother before taking both boys' hands and dancing.

Giggling, the boys joined hands and spun, until Frank slipped and sent the three splashing into a large puddle.

Fenton and Laura laughed at the trio who were now covered in mud, and dripping wet. Gertrude took a handful of moist dirt and launched it at her brother, relishing in his stunned expression as it hit him in the chest.

Fenton stood in mock surprise, then with a whoop, lunged at his sister. She let out a yell of surprise and shoved him. They both were tumbling around the yard, laughing hysterically.

Laura approached the boys who were playing in the puddle, the three talked in hushed voices.

Fenton stood up and helped Gertrude to her feet. He looked around, trying to find his wife but to his dismay, saw nothing. "Laura! Boys? Where are you?" Panic filled his head as he searched.

Suddenly, something tackled him from his right, Fenton lost his balance, but quickly regained it. Until another force hit him from his left, and someone jumped on his back. The muscular man went down into a mud puddle. He rolled over while Laura was still on his back and she squealed as she was instantly covered in mud. Gertrude was laughing giddily from the sidelines as she watched the happy family.

_Family_. That wasn't a word she ever expected to use again. She smiled sadly at the quartet still rolling in the mud before heading inside to give them some privacy.

Fenton wrapped an arm around each of his sons shoulders. "I told you storms aren't that bad." The rain was coming to an end and it hadn't thundered in at least ten minutes.

"Let's go inside and dry off." Laura suggested.

"Ok," Joe paused, "Mom."

**A little bit of fluff for an end? Ok this time I totally PROMISE next chapter will be the trial. It would help me if someone would help me with it since I don't know anything about law. just PM me. Ok. I hope everyone's having a good summer. Please review! 5 reviews for another chapter! **


	7. Chapter 7: The Trial

**Hey guys! Yay! Another chapter! I worked really hard on this one but I know absolutely nothing about law or courts and stuff. Everything I know I got from my research, To Kill a Mockingbird and 12 Angry Men. So I hope this chapter doesn't suck to badly. **

**Guest- THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY WE DO NOT VOTE! Haha just kidding. But I have a plan for this story and I'm sticking to it. **

**RedcakeMaine- Cute is what we aim for! I hope you got that. It'd be really awkward if you didn't...But thanks! I tried. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hardy Boys. Don't sue me. I work a minimum wage job, and can't afford anything. All the codes are real I got them off a legal website. **

Chapter 7: The Trial

(Frank is 11. Joe is 10.)

Frank and Joe gazed at their reflections in the full length mirror that was stylishly placed in his mom's spacious walk-in closet. Over the past few weeks, Frank had noticed a visible change in his, and his brother's, appearances. No longer did they have bags under their eyes from lack of sleep. No longer did their eyes look shrunken in and hollow. No longer was their skin dull and his hair lifeless. No longer could you count they ribs (although many still protruded slightly.) They both looked... Healthy. All that was left were the scars and the memories.

Today they faced the monster that haunted their nightmares, the man who took away their happiness. It was the day they had been silently dreading for awhile now. The day when they would be forced to relive the past eight years of their lives. However, today was also the day the demon would receive judgement and hopefully be locked up forever.

Frank straightened his burgundy colored tie. He was wearing a white button down shirt, khaki pants and a black jacket. Joe was wearing almost the same thing, except his tie was baby blue. "It brought out his eyes" Aunt Gertrude had said when she helped them pick out their clothes earlier that morning.

Just then, Laura and Fenton walked into the closet, both wearing encouraging smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes.

"Ready to go boys?" Fenton asked.

"Yes, Dad. We're ready." Frank replied somberly.

"Come now, Frank. It'll be alright." Laura stepped closer, trying to comfort him.

Frank's body trembled all over as he began to sweat. Joe's eyes twitched and he started to hyperventilate. Signs of an oncoming panic attack. _Being locked in closets for years must have caused extreme claustrophobia._ Fenton realized angrily as he quickly pulled the boys from the closet and into the larger bedroom. The adults gave the boys space to breathe.

Once he had calmed down, Frank turned to his mother. "What if it isn't okay? What if he's found innocent? What if they send us back to him?" His lower lip trembled.

Seeing the sad looks in their sons eyes made the elder Hardy's hearts break into pieces. Fenton got down on one knee in front of the children.

"Listen to me." He paused, meeting each boys eyes. "There is nothing in this world that is going to let anyone separate us. We are a family now. I am doing anything and everything in my power to make sure this man gets what he deserves. And no matter how this trial goes, your mother and I will love you unconditionally." With that, he embraced his sons. There was a long pause as the man held his sons closely, silent tears streaming down all their faces.

After a few moments Fenton released the boys, he and Laura took their hands and led them out of the bedroom, down the stairs, out the front door, and into the waiting car that was going to take the them to the airport hangar where Jack Wayne was going to fly them to West Virginia, where the trial was to take place. Joe glanced over his shoulder at the house that had become a home. He took it all in, the cozy living room with the fading couch, the small pieces artwork on the walls, the large kitchen with the granite counter tops, and the fridge that was never empty. He thought of the first time he and Frank had stepped into this house, how scared they had been, he remembered eating Aunt Gertrude's apple pie, and dancing in the rain. He remembered the love that he felt in this house. As the wooden door closed behind him, he wondered if this was the last time he'd see the residence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The court house was bustling with reporters when the Hardy family arrived. They swarmed the black car like a pack of hungry wolves. Camera flashes went off, blinding the quartet as they made their way up the court house steps. Fenton, Laura and Gertrude put the boys between them as they tried to get inside. Heads down, they tried to ignore the incessant questions being thrown at them.

"Fenton! Fenton! How do you feel now that your sons are okay? Do you wish you had been a better father when you had the chance?" A round man from the Charleston Gazette shouted.

"Frank, Joe, can you describe what you went through the last ten years!" An unseen voice broke through the crowd.

"What was it like? Did losing the boys destroy your marriage?"

"If you could get your hands on Callaway, what would you do to him?"

"Is it true Louis Callaway killed his wife?" A nosy lady from the New York Times pushed her way through the crowd and shoved a tape recorder under Fenton's nose , which he pushed past without a comment.

Carson Drew was waiting for the Hardy's underneath a large plaque that said "Justice is not only served by the hands of the jury, but also by the hands of God."

"It's like a zoo out there." He grinned and shook everyone's hand.

"The zoo is quite the understatement if you ask me." Gertrude huffed.

Drew chuckled softly at her remark before turning towards the boys. "Ok, here's how this is going to work, in a nutshell." He began, dropping to one knee as to be level with them. "First there's going to be opening statements from me and the defense lawyer, then testimony and evidence, and then-"

He was quickly interrupted by Frank "and then closing statements and then it's up to the jury." He smiled sheepishly. "I've been reading about law."

Carson Drew smiled. "Yes. That's very good Frank."

"Nerd." Joe nudged his brother.

"Impulsive." Frank replied. He wasn't very good at comebacks.

"Shall we go in now?" Gertrude asked listening to the banter with disdain.

"Yes, right this way." Drew led the Hardy family inside the massive courtroom. There were rows and rows of pews that were quickly being filled by people, it looked like the whole town had come to see the trial. Frank and Joe recognized some of their old neighbors and teachers. Up front was a pedestal with the West Virginia and USA flag on either side of it. There was an empty chair and a stack of papers on the desk. In front of the judge's seat there were two tables on the left and right. Carson Drew led the Hardy's to the table on the right.

"This is the prosecution table. You boys can take your seats here." The lawyer said.

Frank and Joe looked uneasily at Fenton and Laura. The idea of being left alone with a strange man was unsettling to them.

"It's ok, boys. We'll be right here in the first row." Fenton said as he and Laura kissed their sons and finally parted ways with their children.

The boys were directed to sit on either side of the lawyer. They exchanged an apprehensive gaze at the thought of being separated but did as they were told. The room was full now, the only seats unoccupied were the defendants and the judge.

The courtroom, which was once buzzing with activity, became deathly quiet. Everybody was staring intently at the slowly opening wooden door. The Hardy boys turned their heads at the sudden change in atmosphere. What they saw left their mouths agape and fear in their hearts.

The bailiff led a handcuffed Louis Callaway into the courtroom. It looked as though he could break right through the metal shackles. He was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, which was stretched tightly over his taunt chest and arms, exposing bulging muscles. There was no more fat, no more beer belly. He had gotten a tattoo of a dead tree that covered the extensions of his back. The twisted trunk started at his lower waist and went up his spine, the black tendrils reaching over his shoulders and wrapping around his upper arms, slightly poking out of his sleeves. Snaking around his wrists and forearms were black tattooed chains. He had begun to grow a beard and his chin was scruffy. He was almost unrecognizable. His eyes were cold and emotionless. His face was slightly bruised and his knuckles had bust open, a recent fight. Within a few weeks he had gone from a drunken, fat pig to a hardened criminal, hellbent on revenge.

Frank and Joe paled as they stared in shock at their former father. Everyone knew Louis was a monster, but now he looked the part.

As the prisoner passed the prosecution table, Louis took the chance to look over his sons. They looked scared. _Good_. He thought to himself. _They shoulda be terrified_. Louis watched as Michael looked back towards the first row of pews. His eyes fell on a couple who were giving Michael encouraging smiles. _Dat bastard shot me! That musta be da family that took the boys in. Showed 'em love... _Love. He rolled his eyes. _Those kids don't need no love. Love made 'dem weak. Da weak needa be punished. _ He thought maliciously as an evil smile crept into the corners of his mouth.

Everyone in the room stood, announcing the arrival of the judge. He was a thin man, his receding hairline showed his age, mid-fifties. Wire frames glasses covered the wrinkles around his small gray eyes and his mouth hung in a disapproving frown. He walked with a slight limp as he made his way to the front of the courtroom. "Please be seated." He said in a raspy voice.

"We are here today to hear the case against Louis Michael Callaway. He is charged with kidnapping, child abuse, child neglect, and first degree murder. According to West Virginia code 61, article 2, section 2, first degree murder is defined by any willful, deliberate and premeditated killing of another human being. If convicted if first degree murder, Mr. Callaway will be imprisoned for life. Code 61, article 8, section 3, child abuse is defined as causing a child bodily injury or serious bodily injury or creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death. If convicted of child abuse and neglect, Mr. Callaway will be facing a two to fifteen year sentence. Code 61, article 2, section 14 is titled abduction, kidnapping, and concealment of a child. It states any person who takes away another person, or detains another person against such person's will, or takes away a child under the age of sixteen years from any person having lawful charge of such child. If convicted of child abduction, Mr. Callaway will face a prison sentence between three and ten years. If convicted of all these charges, Mr. Callaway will be facing a maximum prison sentence of up to one hundred years in prison without parole. Mr. Drew please give your opening statement." Judge David Channing began, sounding rather bored.

Carson Drew stood. "Thank you, your honor." He walked around the chairs and stood in front of the curious jury. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I would like to inform you that my clients," He gestured to the boys. "Frank and Joseph Hardy were kidnapped as small children. They were taken from Bayport Park on the Fourth of July eight years ago. From then on they were physically abused, neglected and tortured every day until one day Louis Michael Callaway forced them to assist him in the killing of his wife, Vivian Jane Callaway." Joe went rigid at the mention of the murder. "He deserves punishment for his heinous crimes, and as a fair and just jury, I hope you see that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Thank you." The lawyer finished, taking his place in between the boys.

"Thank you, Mr. Drew." The judge said. "Mr. Foster, please give your opening statement at this time." Channing continued, referencing to the defense lawyer, Adam Foster.

Foster, a handsome man in his early thirties. He was married, and had three children of his own, all girls. Whenever he felt like the stress of the job was getting to him, he would think of his daughters. How happy they were when they saw him, how he saw them smile and knew everything was going to be okay. It deeply sickened him that he had to defend a child abuser. But his job was to defend this man and make sure he had a fair trial. He would be a decent attorney and defend the man until the end. _Innocent until proven guilty. _He sighed and rose to his feet.

"Thank you, your honor. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my client understands the charges he is being faced with. And would like to inform the jury that he is innocent of all charges. He did not in fact kidnap the children, or abuse them in any way, shape or form, and he most certainly did not kill his wife. As a fair and just jury, I plead with you to look beyond appearances and see his innocence." The defense lawyer was almost positive those words were lies, just look at him! But he had to give the criminal the benefit of the doubt.

"Thank you, Mr. Foster." Judge Channing shifted through his papers. "Mr. Drew, the floor is all yours."

"Thank you, your honor." He stood and made his way to the front of the room. "I would like to present to you the first piece of evidence." He pulled several papers from his stack, and pulled out a blue baseball cap still in a Ziploc bag. "This is the baseball cap that Joe was wearing at the time of the kidnapping. You can see the blood stain that coats the inside of the lining. It has been tested and it is confirmed as Joe Hardy's blood. I believe Callaway had a hard time apprehending the boys and took to harsher methods." He looked to Fenton. "Let's start from the beginning. I would like to call the first witnesses to the stand. Fenton and Laura Hardy."

Fenton and Laura made their way to the stand. They took the oath and sat down, waiting to be interrogated.

"Please state your relationship to the children." Drew started.

"We are their biological parents." Laura stated proudly.

Louis' mouth hit the floor. He had no idea! He had kidnapped the sons of the famous Fenton Hardy! This was bad, this was very bad.

"Tell me what happened July 4, eight years ago." Drew continued.

"It would have been the boys' first time seeing fireworks. We had just woken them from their nap. Laura, my sister Gertrude and I got the boys ready and then we headed to the park. We walked because it was only a few blocks away. When we got there, we sat with our friends, The Mortens at a picnic table. The boys and Chet Morten wanted to play so I was pushing them on the swing. Then I got a phone call and told the boys to go back to the picnic table." Fenton began to tell the story.

"Who was on the phone?" Drew interrupted.

"Chief Ezra Collig. Calling to tell me something about a case I was working on."

"Continue please." Drew watched the defense lawyer write notes.

"The boys came and ate a cookie. Then Frank and Joe wanted to go play again, but Chet wanted to take a nap. So we sent the kids to play catch nearby. After awhile we went to look for them because the fireworks were almost ready to start." Laura started to cry softly. "We couldn't find them! We looked everywhere, and asked some people in the park. But no one had seen or heard anything. All we found was Joe's hat." Laura felt as if she was reliving the day all over again.

"What happened next?" Carson Drew pressed.

"We never saw or heard from our boys for eight years. We made warrant posters, called around to see if they showed up anywhere, and I became a private investigator to find them." Fenton recapped.

"No further questions." Drew said and returned to his chair.

"Mr. Foster. Do you have any questions for the Hardy's?" The judge said casually.

Adam Foster nodded and reviewed his notes. "How do you know these are your biological sons?"

"When I found the boys, something struck me and I asked for a DNA test. The results came back positive."

Foster sat back down. "No further questions."

"Drew, next witness please." Judge Channing wanted to move it along.

"I would like to call forth Frank Hardy to the stand." Drew said, smiling at the elder child.

Frank didn't move. There was no way he could testify. He was to nervous. There was a slight pressure on his hand. He looked down to see Joe squeezing it. That gave him the reassurance he needed, Frank smiled gratefully at his brother.

He took his time walking to the witness stand. His head was bowed and he kept his hands clenched inside his pockets to keep them from shaking. He placed his left hand on the Bible and held his right in the air, fully aware he was violently trembling. "I swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth." His voice shook.

"Ok Frank, why don't you tell me what you and Joe were doing on the Fourth of July." Drew asked kindly. He could see the boy was freaking out.

"Um, me and Joe were playing catch in the field. The ball went into the woods and Mom and Dad told me to watch out for Joe so we both went into the woods together to get the ball. Then we woke up on a mattress." Frank kept his eyes downcast, hoping no one could see the tears forming.

"Frank, tell me everything that happened during the past eight years." Drew knew this would be hard for all the Hardy's. But it had to be done.

Frank sat in silence for a moment gathering his thoughts. Once he started he couldn't stop, he started with the story of how Michael and Daniel came to be their new names, the abuse, the neglect, he was presented with his Injury Journal and recapped the more colorful punishments, he told of the affair, the murder, the church, the torture, and finally the rescue by their father. By the end, he was mentally exhausted. He was trying very hard not to cry but it was a fruitless effort as tears spilled onto his cheeks.

"Do you and your brother have night terrors?"

"Yeah, Joe does. He's scared Louis will come back and hurt us. Or Vivian will come back from the grave." Frank ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you happy at the Hardy home?" Drew asked, trying to bring some light to the child's eyes.

"Yes, very much so." Frank instantly smiled.

"No further questions, your honor." Drew concluded on a happy note.

The cross examination began. Foster didn't have the heart to ask half the questions he had, but didn't have much of a choice.

"How do you remember all this?" He began, pacing in front of Frank.

"I don't know. I just do. My Injury Journal helps."

"I see. How do you know these are not false memories?"

"Excuse me?" Frank was confused.

"False memories are similar to post hypnotic suggestions. It means falsely planted memories to make you believe you remember, but you don't."

"I think the DNA results prove that my memories are true." Frank said cooly.

"You say Mr. Callaway has neglected you and your brother. But you look healthy."

"Mom and Dad have helped us. We've never missed a meal since we've been there. Mr. Callaway hardly ever fed us."

"Why didn't you try to run away?"

"We did. But he always found us. He always said he had the town wrapped around his finger. But when he hauled us back home, the beatings would be worse."

"Worse how?"

"He would be angrier, and it would hurt a lot more. He would use more... Creative implements or techniques." Frank refused to look the lawyer in the eye. There was something about his shoes that became very interesting.

"Do you believed you deserved it?"

Frank paused. "At first. But then I realized that parents are supposed to love their kids and not hit them all the time."

"Why didn't you tell anyone? A teacher or any trusted adult."

"We were afraid. Afraid of him." Frank looked up for the first time. His eyes met with Louis's, the man held his gaze, but his eyes were so cold Frank felt a chill run down his spine.

"No further questions." Foster sighed. This was a losing battle.

"Next witness please." Channing commanded.

Drew stood. "I would like to call Joseph Hardy to the stand."

Joe traded places with Frank, his brother squeezed his shoulder before returning to the prosecution table.

Joe took his vows and waited to be questioned. He was nervous and his sapphire eyes shifted over to his fake father. He looked so much more colder than Joe remembered. Prison hardened him to the point of no return.

"Alright son. Tell me everything you remember about the past eight years." Drew asked politely.

"Um, well I, um." Joe stammered.

"Objection. Speak up, boy. No one can hear you when you mutter." Judge Channing was slightly annoyed.

"I remember being happy once." Joe retold everything he could remember. His story matched almost identically to Frank's.

"Why do you think he targeted you physically during the torture?"

"In Frank's eyes, watching me be whipped, and stabbed was his own personal torture." The child swallowed. "I think Louis knew that, that's why he picked me, because he knew it would hurt Frank too."

"Was Vivian Callaway having an affair?"

"No."

"Why do you think he asked you guys to help with the murder?" Drew didn't think he was going to like the answer.

"He was angry, he was drunk. He is sick. I don't know." Joe's eyes brimmed with tears.

"No further questions." Drew felt confident. They were going to win this case if it was the last thing he did.

"Foster, do you have any questions for Mr. Hardy?" Channing asked, impatiently.

"Yes." The defense attorney got shakily to his feet, not understanding why his client had suggested this question.

"Did you kill Vivian Callaway?"

Joe stiffened. "No." He told the floor.

Foster glanced at Louis who nodded. "I suppose the question is why." The man continued. "Why did you kill your mother?" He closed his eyes, ashamed of himself for asking such a vulgar question.

Memories flashed behind Joe's closed eyelids.

_**You killed her, say it.**_

"No. I didn't kill her. He did."

**_Coward_**

"No"

_**Worthless**_

"I didn't kill her"

**_Murderer_**

Joe blew up. "I'm not a stupid, worthless coward! I didn't kill her! I loved mom, so much more than you did!" He was on his feet, pointing at Louis. "You're still the monster you were a few weeks ago. You'll never change!" He was yelling now, his voice rising above the courthouse. "We never did anything wrong! You abused us, you abused mom, and then you tied her to the kitchen table and cut out her tongue! And made us cut out her eyes so she would never look at another man again!" He started towards the defense table, to where he was in Louis' face. "She was not having an affair! You killed her for nothing! And then you couldn't face what you had done so you took it out on me and Michael!" Joe paused, horrified he had used their old names. "Frank. You took it out on me and Frank." He restated softly. Joe got close to Louis' face, enough where he could smell the cigarettes on him. "You're the one who's a worthless coward." He was looking right into his eyes with a steeliness he never knewg he had. "I hope you rot in Hell." He whispered before returning back to his seat next to a stunned looking Drew.

There was a stillness in the room as everyone tried to make sense of Joe's outburst. It only lasted a moment as the whole room broke into chaos.

Judge Channing banged his gavel. "Order! Order!" He boomed until the room quieted. "Due to recent events. We will be taking a short recess." He cleared his throat. "Reconvene in twenty minutes." He banged his gavel, finalizing the plan.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Outside, the Hardy's sat on the steps in bewildered silence.

"Why did you do that? He could've hurt you! You could've ruined the whole case." Frank sighed. "You're such a hot head, Joe." Frank mumbled, and then laughed.

Joe had been listening remotely, but turned his head when Frank started laughing.

"You did it Joe! You faced your fear and stood up to him!" Frank was so proud of his brother.

Joe saw what Frank was talking about and finally reality sunk in. He had yelled at Louis, called him worthless, if they had been still living in that house, Joe would surely be dead by now. But he didn't care, Joe laughed right along with his brother.

Fenton and Laura exchanged an astonished look before laughter consumed them all.

"I do not believe this is a laughing matter." Gertrude Hardy looked sternly down at her family on the steps. Following closely behind her was Carson Drew.

"Joe, you can't let your emotions get the better of you." The lawyer smiled. "But the look on Louis' face was pretty funny."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in the courtroom Louis was fuming. How dare the brat talk to him that way? He should have been cowering in fear, not calling him, of all people, a coward. His eyes darkened, he would have his revenge on those boys, no matter what.

The doors opened again, admitting a joyful looking Hardy family back into the room. That made Louis angrier. _They shouldn't allowed to be that happy, they shouldn't even be allowed to live._

The trial reassembled soon after. It was smooth sailing for the prosecution, Drew questioned Dr. Gray and Nurse Camille on the injuries the boys had sustained. He presented the pictures, and X-rays that were taken at the hospital. He requestioned Fenton about when he found the boys, and questioned some of Frank and Joe's old teachers. Finally it came down to one last witness.

"The court would like to call Louis Callaway to the stand." Judge Channing announced.

Louis rose, exposing his massive six foot, four inch form. He sat down in front of the court, fully aware of the looks he was receiving.

"Mr. Callaway, tell us what happened on July Fourth." Drew began, not liking the look in the criminals eyes.

"Well I came to New York on a business trip. I decided ta watch da fireworks at Bayport Park. I took a walk through da woods to clear mah head because I had a nasty headache. 'Der were two kids wanderin' round the woods, lookin' lost. I asked 'em where their folks were and they said they didn't have any. So I took dem home wiff me. My wife couldn't have no kids naturally so we thought dis woulda be perfect."

"So you're saying that the boys went with you consensually?" Drew asked, not believing a word.

"Yes. " Came the confident reply.

"Where did the names Michael and Daniel come from?"

"Mah middle name is Michael, and Vivian's father's name was Daniel."

"Did you ever hit the children?" Drew continued.

"Maybe a few times. But honestly, who hasn't?" Fenton wanted to wipe that self-righteous smile off the bastard's face. He tightened his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Did you hit them with a belt, or possibly a sock filled with oranges?" Drew was reading from his notes.

"Not once." Louis was acting rather smug.

"The images taken at the hospital would prove otherwise."

He was met with silence, and an egotistical smile.

"I would suggest you tell the truth." Drew said cooly.

"I ain't telling no lies, Mr. Drew."

"Did you kill your wife, Mr. Callaway? Or I suppose the real question is why?" The lawyer repeated the previous statement given by Foster.

"No I did not kill mah wife. My son, Daniel is an ungrateful little shit. I tried to stop him but he tied her to da table, did horrible, unmentionable things to 'er womanly parts and stabbed her." His eyes filled with fake tears. "He killed the only woman I eva loved."

"What about Christina Sweetheart?" No one had been able to find her, and presumed she used a false name.

"I met her at a bar. It was nuttin' more."

"How often do you drink? What types of alcohol?"

"I usta to drink a lot, but I'm sober now. Beer, lotta whiskey, tequila, an' wine. "

"Can you explain where all the bruises and cuts came from in the pictures from the hospital?"

"Kids will be kids. Probably fell outta a tree or somethin'." He smiled, looking more like a hungry shark than a human.

"How do you respond to Fenton Hardy's eyewitness testimony of you beating the boys?"

"No comment."

Drew was confident the jury had all they needed from him. "No further questions."

Foster rose. "You said the boys came with you willingly, correct?"

"Yes." Callaway nodded.

"Did you love the boys?"

"Of course! I raised 'em as my own children. I loved them dearly, and still do." Everyone heard the fake, mocking tone.

Drew told the boys to look away as Foster produced an image of Vivian's body once it was dug up. "Can you explain why Vivian Callaway's body was buried on your farm? And why the eyes are not inside the skull? And possibly where the tongue is?"

"It's a family tradition to bury the deceased on da farm. I dunno how body parts got where they got to, do I look like a forensic guy?"

"No further questions." Foster knew his client was lying, he just hoped the jury would put him in his place.

"Ok. Are there any further witnesses or evidence you would like to present?" Judge Channing asked, looking at each lawyer.

"Just one." Foster said. "I would like to recall Fenton Hardy to the stand."

Once Fenton was seated, Foster only had one question. "When you found the boys in the barn, is it true that you shot Mr. Callaway without any warning?"

"Yes, it was in defense for the boys." Fenton was cool under pressure.

"You do understand that is against protocol."

"Yes sir."

"No further questions."

Afterwards both attorneys gave their closing statements.

"At this time I relieve the jury for discussion." Channing banged his gavel, dismissing the jurors.

As the seconds turned to minutes, Fenton begun to get nervous, looking at Drew, he could tell the man felt the same.

Finally after what felt like hours, but was really only ten minutes, the jury came back out. They didn't look at Drew or the boys, not a single one. Drew knew that probably wasn't a good sign.

The head juror gave a slip of paper to the judge. He looked red faced, like he had a recent shouting match.

The judge unfolded the paper. "The court of West Virginia finds Louis Michael Callaway... Guilty of all charges." He smiled at Fenton and Laura. "He will serve a life sentence at West Virginia Correctional Facility with maximum security. Frank and Joseph will remain in custody of the Hardy family. Dismissed."

The room burst into cheers. Laura released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Frank and Joe rushed towards their parents and Fenton shook Carson's hand, a huge smile spread across his face. "Thank you, thank you so much!" He told the man enthusiastically.

"It was no problem. I'm glad that man got what he deserved." Drew said and departed. It was time to spend some quality time with his daughter.

Fenton put Joe up on his shoulders, and Frank in his arms. "Let's get ice cream." He said as the family exited the massive court house.

Louis wasn't surprised. He had a pretty crappy lawyer anyway. And as Snake had said, it didn't matter how the trial went. Now all Louis had to do was wait for the right time, it might take years, but he would get his revenge.

"Would you like to appeal?" Foster asked, not really caring what the man said next.

"No. I've got it wrapped around my dead wife's finger." He left a confused Foster and was led back to jail.

**Ok. Kind of a weak ending... Sorry. Ugh school starts in four days. :( Like I said I know NOTHING about the trials and stuff. I hope you liked Joe's outburst, cause that was my favorite part of the whole chapter. This IS NOT the last chapter in case you were wondering. Bye! **

**Reviews make my day! **


	8. Chapter 8: Homecoming

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, but school got in the way. **

**Raven678: I was originally going to make that chapter into several different chapters, but decided against it cause I didn't want it to drag. Thanks to yours and Hardydrewsgirl Nancy is in this chapter. Like I said before I don't really like Nancy Drew so this will be the only chapter she is in. I liked your friend idea!**

**Laurenhardy13: I'm so excited for him to come back too! It might be in the next chapter... Maybe.**

Chapter 8: Homecoming

(Frank is 11. Joe is 10) 

Young Nancy Drew was anxiously awaiting her father's arrival. He had been gone only a few weeks, but it was still to long to the youth. She tucked a piece of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear and continued to gaze longingly through the large bay window in the Drew home.

"Nancy, you can't waste a beautiful day indoors." The housekeeper, Hannah, told her sweetly.

"I want to hear about Daddy's case, Hannah!" Nancy whined.

"Well then you can at least help me clean up." The woman replied more sternly, handing the girl a bottle of window cleaner and a rag.

Nancy sighed as she started washing the window. Her gaze drifted over to Hannah.

Having no children of her own, Hannah had become like a mother to Nancy. The girl had grown up with her after all. Although she could be strict sometimes, Hannah was still the sweetest woman Nancy had ever met. Hannah was genuine; caring more for Nancy's well-being than her own income. She made sure Nancy was fed, dressed, entertained and doing well in school. But Hannah had taken her job to a higher degree. She had insisted living with them after Mrs. Drew was killed. She helped both Carson and Nancy through that very difficult time. Hannah had started working for the Drew's a few years before Elizabeth Drew had been involved in a car accident that took her life.

A car honked outside as the iron gates opened to admit a black Chevrolet Impala.

"Daddy!" Nancy squealed excitedly as she ran out of the house and into Carson's open arms.

"Nancy!" Carson embraced his only child with a newfound vigor.

"Tell me all about your case, Daddy!" Nancy pleaded as Carson took her hand and led her into the Victorian style house.

"Welcome home Carson." Hannah carried a plate of freshly made chocolate chip cookies from the kitchen.

"Thank you Hannah." Carson kissed Hannah on the cheek and took a cookie. He watched Nancy eat hers and thought about his wife. Nancy and Elizabeth looked so unmistakably identical, Carson sometimes found it hard to even look at his daughter. She acted just like Elizabeth in every way, her strong personality and her love of sleuthing.

Nancy's mother had been a saint. A beautiful blonde, she cared about everyone and everything. She had been an angel on Earth. Elizabeth loved everyone she met and no one had a bad word to say about her. She organized all the community events and volunteered at everything from bake sales to church events to pet adoptions. Nancy didn't remember much about her except for her kindness, and love. On that night a few years prior, Elizabeth had been driving on a windy country road when a drunk driver crashed into her head on. She didn't die on impact though. She died three days later in the hospital, with Carson and Nancy by her side.

"Daddy!" Nancy coaxed.

"Alright, pumpkin, alright, I'm coming." Carson was pulled from his thoughts. He leaned on the granite counter. "It was a solid case with some hard evidence. The other lawyer wasn't really trying to defend his client. A man had kidnapped these boys and held them against their will for eight years." He purposely left out the abuse and murder, trying to keep Nancy innocent for a little while longer.

"Why?" Nancy asked, intrigued.

"The man and his wife couldn't have kids, so they wanted someone to fill that hole."

"So it was a kidnapping case?"

"Partially yes. That man was a very bad man and he did horrible things to his children."

"Like what?" The young sleuth pressed.

"Very bad things. Unmentionable things. If anyone ever took you away from me, I- I don't know what I would do." Carson replied sadly, his voice laced with despair.

"What was the sentence?" Nancy asked, not put off by her fathers emotion.

"Life. In a maximum security prison." Life in prison was no joke.

"Wow. He musta been a horrible man."

"He was, darling. Picture the ugliest spider you've ever seen and multiply it be one hundred." Carson smiled, lightening the mood.

Nancy laughed, ending the depressing discussion.

"And the best part is that I have the whole week off to spend time with you!" Carson picked her up and put her on his shoulders. Carson sometimes hated it when Nancy asked about a case, he was home and wanted to forget about lawyers, courtrooms, and criminals.

"Yay!" Nancy cheered.

Throughout the week Carson spent all his free time with Nancy. They went to the amusement park, went out to dinner, saw a movie, and went rollerblading.

Every case the lawyer has ever worked on has taught him something, but nothing as powerful as this. The Hardy Boys case had taught Carson to love the things he held dear, because they could be taken away from him in a matter of minutes. He never wanted to go through the pain the Hardy's felt when their sons were taken from them. He already went through it once with Elizabeth and wasn't going to lose Nancy. From then on Carson vowed to be a better, more caring father. He wasn't going to part with his daughter for a long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"They may have won the battle, but we will win the war." Louis told his cell mate, Snake. It was dinner time and all the inmates were in the cafeteria eating the disgusting prison food.

"Right you are, Freakshow. I've made some calls. The gang'll be ready whenever we are." Snake grinned, stretching his lip ring.

"Now all we do is wait." Louis flexed his bulging muscles. "Let's go raise a little Hell."

"That's where we're all going." A new voice piped up. "We're all going to Hell." The voice moaned.

Louis turned to see a skinny man sitting behind him. He had short brown hair and small eyes. Tears were running down his cheeks.

"Ma'am! I'm sorry I failed you! Mother hen! Mother hen!" The man shrieked at his dinner.

"Shut up Marvin!" Snake growled.

"We all need to ask for forgiveness! Please mother, please forgive us!" Marvin was on his knees praying.

"You remind me of my filthy, good for nothing sons." Louis mumbled before slamming a fist into Marvin's jaw.

Marvin fell back onto the floor. He started rocking back and forth. "_R_ock a bye baby, under the tree top," He sang in a soft, eerie voice that sent chills down Snake's spine. "When the wind blows, the cradle will rock, When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall." He stopped rocking and looked directly into Louis' soulless eyes. "And down will come baby, cradle and all."

Louis sat in a stunned, scared silence for a full minute before swinging blindly at Marvin. The guards came rushing over and broke up the fight.

"Alright, alright. You'll get to spend some extra time together, in solitary confinement!" The guard dragged Louis to his feet and shoved him and Marvin into cells next to each other. The cells were on the bottom floor and there were no other prisoners. They were completely alone.

Marvin was mumbling incoherently to himself, but stopped once the guard left. He stared blankly at Louis.

"Don't look at me, you fucking retard." Louis slammed a fist into the bars separating their cells.

"Ba ba black sheep, have you any wool?" Marvin once again sang in a slow, quiet, eerie voice.

"Do you ever shut up?" Louis punched the iron bars again.

"Ring around the Rosie, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down." Marvin shrieked the verse, causing Louis to cover his ears. The sound echoed off the walls. Louis sat down and leaned his head back against the wall, trying to block out Marvin. It was a fruitless attempt as Marvin sang louder.

"It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring! He bumped his head and won't be up In the morning!" The deranged man was sitting in the center of the cell, staring at Louis with a crazed look in his eyes.

Louis was getting agitated.

"Eeper weeper chimney sweeper, had a wife but couldn't keep her!" Marvin grew deathly quiet to sing the last line. "Had another, didn't love her, up the chimney he did shove her."

Louis' eyes flew open as he thought of Vivian. They turned cold again once Marvin stopped singing.

"Three blind mice, three blind mice. See how they run see how they run, See how they run after the farmers wife? Who cut off their tails with a carving knife." Marvin was staring at Louis as he whispered these incriminating words.

"Stop!" Louis roared. "I didn't kill her, I didn't kill her! Stupid Daniel did! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!" He mumbled.

Still Marvin sang. The sound bounced off the prison walls and Louis could feel himself slowly going insane.

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"Are you boys ready?" Laura asked her sons on their first day of school.

"Yes!" They both said enthusiastically.

It was a cool day in September, today Frank would start sixth grade and Joe would start fifth. It was Frank's last year in elementary school before he went off to junior high. The boys were both excited, but for different reasons. Frank wanted to learn while Joe wanted to go to the physical education class.

"Mommy, when I come back, I'm going to be ten times smarter than I am now!" Frank told his mother as they waited for the school bus.

"I know you will be sweetie." She smiled at her son.

"And I'm going to be the first one to climb the rope in gym class!" Joe exclaimed.

"I bet you will be Joe! Just be careful!" She laughed.

Finally the school bus came, Laura kissed both her sons and waved them off as the bus sped away. As she walked back towards her house the tears she had been holding back spilled down her face.

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Frank and Joe walked into the crowded cafeteria. Their days were going great so far. Frank had known all the answers on his math pre-test, and Joe had made it to the top of the rope climb.

But lunch was different, everyone had their cliques and crews, there were no unoccupied tables. Frank and Joe didn't know where to sit!

"Hey Frank, Joe! Over here!" A plump boy called out to them from the right side of the cafeteria.

Frank and Joe sat down with Chet Morten and some of his friends.

"Guys this is Frank and Joe Hardy. Frank's in my English class." Chet introduced the newcomers.

Frank and Joe mumbled their hellos.

"This is Callie, Phil, Biff, Tony, and my sister Iola." Chet pointed to each child as he read their names.

"We have math together." Phil pointed out to Frank. "You sure are a wiz!"

Frank blushed. "You're pretty smart too!"

"Joe, I think we have gym together." Biff told Joe.

"Oh yeah!" Joe remembered now. "We were the only ones to make it to the top of the rope climb!"

Meanwhile, the girls were whispering to each other.

"These new boys sure are cute." Callie giggled.

"Dibs on the blonde one!" Iola whispered loudly.

"I call the brunette!" Callie laughed.

It was the start of a beautiful friendship. After lunch, the Hardy's felt right at home in Bayport, New York. It was a change to be surrounded by people who cared about them.

**I hope you guys liked it. Please review! And I need more creepy nursery rhymes please. . **


	9. Chapter 9: Football is for Sweethearts

**Hey guys. Thanks so much for sticking through with this story even with its ups and downs. I hope to post more frequently now. **

**Thank you all for your support through this difficult time. It is greatly appreciated. **

Chapter 9: Football is for Sweethearts 

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16) 

NOTICE THE AGE DIFFERENCE

_Faster!_ Joe thought to himself as he pumped his legs harder, cutting a sharp right to avoid the massive line backer who was blocking his path towards the end zone. Joe Hardy was the star running back on the Bayport High School football team. Only a sophomore, he played varsity, a major accomplishment if you asked the coach. Joe was quick on his feet, the fastest on the team, dodging left and right to avoid being tackled. It was Bayport's homecoming game, the last one of the season. There was a lot of pressure on the team to end the season undefeated. Joe stole a wild glance to the left to see the other teams' quarterback coming in for a side tackle, and fast. He pumped his legs even harder as he crossed the fifty yard line. Right now the score was 42-37, the team needed one more touchdown with only seconds left on the clock. Joe scanned the sideline and smiled when he spotted just who he hwas looking for. With a new found strength, Joe launched the ball towards the end zone right before the quarterback tackled him. It was as if time slowed down as the ball spiraled perfectly through the air, making a bee line for the end zone. Frank Hardy jumped up and caught the pass against his broad chest as he landed on his back inside the end zone, right as the buzzer went off.

"Frank Hardy with the win for Bayport!" The excited announcer yelled into the microphone as the crowd cheered crazily.

The team raced towards Frank and lifted him up on their shoulders. They paraded around the field to pump up the crowd and celebrate the completed season.

In the stands, Callie and Iola cheered as the team passed, they threw bouquets of roses

down to their boyfriends. Iola watched Joe blow her a kiss as he scooped up both bouquets and handed one to Frank, who was still on the teams shoulders. The crowd was still roaring as the team headed for the locker room.

"All hail Frank, King of the quarterbacks!" Biff Hooper yelled once Frank was back on his feet.

"Great win tonight guys!" Frank congratulated the team who was huddled around him, waiting for his famous speech.

"Tonight, we made Bayport history." Frank paused dramatically. "We beat the one of the best teams in the state. We won every single game we have played since August. We are a team and nothing can tear us apart. It was not just the effort put forth by me, but by all of you. Congratulations to everyone for a fantastic season. Seniors, we'll miss you guys next year, you all were such great assets to the team. This may be our last game together but it is not our last victory. We will continue our winning streak now and forever! As those of us continue on our separate pathways of life, we will always remember this year as the year we were undefeated! We are undefeated! We will never be beaten, for we are victorious!" Frank pumped a fist in the air as his team followed suit with yells of encouragement, high-fiving and enjoying the moment.

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After the team left, Joe was waiting for Frank to finish showering so they could go to Mr. Pizza with their friends.

Frank came out of the locker room towel drying his hair and wearing a pair of jeans and a Bayport Football t-shirt.

"Took you long enough." Joe muttered under his breath.

"Ready?" Frank asked.

"Yeah." Joe got up from the bench and the brothers walked towards their car. "That was a great catch, Frank." Joe reminisced about the game.

"My catch? What about your pass? You're the one who should have been on the teams shoulders!"

The boys discussed the highlights of the game until they arrived at Mr. Pizza's.

Frank parked the car, but Joe grabbed his arm before Frank got out of the car. "Are you going to ask Callie to homecoming?" Joe prompted.

Frank flashed him a devilish smile. "All in good time, little brother."

Frank had been meaning to ask Callie Shaw to the homecoming dance for awhile now, but he didn't know how to ask her. A lot of his friends were into big, lavish proposals, but Frank and Callie weren't that type of couple. They didn't need overdone and outlandish engagements to fulfill themselves. All they needed was each other. He had been stuck, until Tony suggested they all meet at Mr. Pizza's after the game. Then an idea struck Frank like a bolt of lightning. He had called Tony at almost midnight because he was so excited.

"Hello?" A sleepy voiced answered the phone.

"Tony? It's me, Frank. Listen I need a favor..."

Once Tony and Frank worked out the details, and said goodnight, Frank began to reminisce his and Callie's first date.

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FLASHBACK

It was close to Christmas, a fresh layer of snow blanketed the ground. Frank was walking Callie home from the library. They both had a Chemistry test the next day and decided to study together.

Over the years of their friendship, Frank had grown quite fond of Callie. He loved everything about her, the way she talked with her hands, the smell of her luxurious hair, and especially her warm, beautiful smile. Frank had wanted to ask her out for a long time but didn't want to disrupt their friendship. They got along well enough, but whenever Callie looked at him, with her sparkling green eyes, Frank's heart melted like morning dew on spring grass.

As they climbed the stairs to Callie's porch a realization dawned on Frank. If he didn't ask her out, someone else would. He saw the looks other guys would give Callie, he saw heads turn when she walked into a room.

"Callie," Frank said quietly, barley audible to the girl standing next to him, fishing in her purse for her house keys.

"Yes?" Callie turned her head and was once again lost in Frank's eyes.

"There's, um, something I've been meaning to ask you." Frank ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"Okay." Callie had her full attention on Frank now, keys forgotten.

"I was wondering if." Frank paused. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me on Friday?"

Callie stood in a stunned silence, she liked Frank, but never wanted to ruin their bond.

"Forget it. It was a stupid idea anyway." Frank took Callie's silence as a rejection. He turned away from his friend, ashamed of himself for overstepping his boundaries.

"Frank?" Callie called out.

"Yes?" Frank turned back, hopeful.

"I'd love to get dinner with you."

Frank grinned so hard he could feel his lip starting to split. "Great! I'll pick you up at six!"

And with that Frank practically ran home. Not even bothered by the chilling cold.

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The week went too slowly for Frank's liking but finally it was Friday. He was pacing the room nervously when Joe came in.

"Man, you've got to calm down!" Joe said. "You and Callie are crazy about each other. It'll be fine."

"What if I don't know what to say? What if I say the wrong thing? What if I forget to hold the door open for her or forget to compliment her?" Frank sat on his bed, head buried in his hands. "Maybe I just shouldn't go." He mumbled through his fingers.

"Enough of this, Frank. You'll be a perfect gentleman. You won't forget anything because you're too busy worrying about it! Just go out and have a good time with her. It's just Callie and it's just a first date. Pretend like you haven't asked her out yet, like you're just friends." Joe tried to console.

"Like I'd take dating advice from you. You haven't even asked Iola out yet!" Frank retorted.

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it. It just had to be perfect." Joe said dreamily, before going to his own room.

Frank got up and paced some more. He went to his closet to find something to wear. First he pulled out a dress shirt and tie, and held it up to himself in front of a mirror. He smirked _It's just Mr. Pizza's. _He put on a pair of khaki pants and a red sweater. _Casual but not too much so_ he thought to himself as he admired his reflection.

Frank headed down the stairs to find his family waiting at the bottom of the steps. In his mothers arms was a beautiful bouquet of Lillie's. "Give these to Callie." She handed him the bouquet and kissed his cheek.

"And give these to the family. Any boy who is taking out their daughter needs to know that he is a good man." Aunt Gertrude said and handed him a plate of her homemade chocolate chip cookies.

"Don't be nervous, Frank." Joe said, feeling Frank's anxiety.

"Have a good time son." Fenton hugged his son and than clasped his shoulder, squeezing hard.

Frank felt sincerely blessed to have such an amazing family

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Frank and Callie sat opposite each other in a booth near the window. They were both looking at the menu, not saying a thing. Frank couldn't believe how incredibly nervous he was. It was just Callie like Joe said. _No. That's not true. _Frank thought as he peaked over the menu at his date.

Callie looked stunning in a simple purple sweater dress with her wavy hair framing her face in layers. She bore a hint of eye liner and mascara. She looked up as Frank let his eyes linger too long.

Frank blushed. "You look great."

"You do too, Frank." Callie smiled sweetly as Tony came to take their order.

"What'll it be for the love birds this evening?" He asked playfully.

"Just an iced tea and a slice of the pepperoni pizza for me, Tony." Callie replied unphased by her friends mock obnoxiousness.

"The same for me Tony. And a soda." Frank handed their waiter the menus and Tony left with a wink.

While waiting for their food, Frank and Callie talked casually about school, family, friends, and Frank's detective cases.

Frank was just beginning to relax when Tony came back with their food. He reached out to pick up his pizza, but his arm knocked into his glass of soda! Frank watched in horror as the full glass tipped over, spilling liquid all over Callie's pizza, and her sweater dress.

She jumped up as the cold liquid splashed onto her lap. Frank jumped up too. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Callie! Here!" He thrust some napkins at her and began rubbing at her sweater dress.

Callie started laughing. She really didn't care that her dress was ruined, or her pizza would be soggy, or even that her legs would be sticky. It was just that she had expected a clumsy move from Joe, not poised, careful Frank.

Frank stopped rubbing at her dress. "What's so funny?" He asked.

"It's just that I expected something like that from Joe, not you!" Callie laughed harder.

Frank broke into a grin, he couldn't resist it, he began to laugh too. After that awkward hiccup their date went smoothly.

END FLASHBACK

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Frank and Joe walked into Mr. Pizza's to find all of their friends were already seated.

"There's our star players!" Chet called out.

"Took you guys long enough! We already ordered!" Biff jibed.

"Well maybe if Mr. Perfect hadn't taken such a long shower, we'd have been here sooner." Joe slid into the booth next to his long time girlfriend Iola Morten.

"Gee, sorry for wanting to look good for this beauty." Frank kissed Callie passionately.

"Oh get a room!" Joe muttered.

"So what'd you order?" Joe asked, his stomach growling.

"The usual. Extra cheese, sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and anchovies." Iola responded.

"Anchovies? Yuck!" Joe made a face.

"We get them every time." Iola responded.

"And every time I pick them off!" Joe retorted.

"Well maybe if you just tried one, you'd like it."

"Gross! Anchovies are just slimy fish with little hairs. There is no way I'm ever putting one even close to my mouth."

The group talked about the game until their pizza arrived. To everyone's surprise it was in a delivery box.

"We taking up tables or something Tony?" Biff joked.

"Not at all." Tony said and walked away.

"How strange." Muttered Phil.

"Let's eat, I'm starving!" Joe reached in and flung the lid of the box open.

Frank held his breath as Joe opened the box.

On the inside of the lid was was a letter written in black ink. It read:

Callie,

I know our first date didn't go as planned, let me make it up to you at"

And the word Homecoming was written out on the pie using pizza toppings.

Callie looked shyly over at Frank. "Of course I'll go to homecoming with you Frank." She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Frank blushed and let out the breath he had been holding, all the while smiling giddily.

"Awwww!" Iola cooned.

The table burst into smiles and applause.

**I'm off school starting Tuesday. I will try to get a new chapter up by the New Year. But I make no promises. Please review for me tell me what you think. Next chapter: Homecoming and LOUIS! **


	10. Chapter 10: Unpleasant Surprise

**Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry it took so long school got in the way. Hopefully you all had a fantastic holiday and New Years! So I forgot to say this last time but if you haven't noticed I changed my username from awolnation319 to One-Tuff-Cookie723. I'm still the same me though! **

**Raven678- Iola died in book one of the Casefiles Dead on Target. My story is more based off of the original blue spines. So Iola is alive! I really hated it when she died. And also I honestly don't think the boys could handle losing anyone else because of all the shit that I've put them through. Hope this cleared things up.**

**ErinJordan- Thank you so much. Your review was very encouraging! **

Chapter 10: Pleasant and Unpleasant Surprises 

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16) 

Homecoming. Probably one of the most important parts of a high schoolers life. A time of dress shopping, dates, corsages, dinner, dancing and of course, romancing. Joe Hardy was posing for pictures with a group that consisted of his date, Iola, Frank with Callie, and Chet with his date.

"Oh, Joe. Quit making faces and smile!" Aunt Gertrude lightly scolded her nephew for making silly faces for the camera.

Joe grinned and snaked an arm around Iola's slim waist, pulling her closer.

"That's better!"

The group was posing inside of the Morton's barn. A place that was slightly musty but full of light. A perfect spot for taking pictures.

Fenton and Laura were standing off to the side, letting Gertrude handle the picture taking, for mental images could not be lost. Their arms were wrapped around each other and their eyes were glistening with unshed tears. It felt like just yesterday that Fenton had stormed into that barn in which the boys were being tortured. It felt like just yesterday the boys had come home from the hospital and didn't trust anyone. They had come so far in just a few short years. They didn't need the counselings of a psychiatrist and they better trusted friends and family. Now Frank was going to graduate and head off to the University next fall. Joe was going to be a senior in high school, then he too was going to fly the nest.

"Just a few more pictures then we'll let you guys go." Mrs. Morton smiled warmly. They already had a ton of pictures, some of the group and some individual, and some of the siblings, and the girls.

"Let's take a family picture." Gertrude said, it was more of a request than a suggestion.

First it was the Morton family. Iola and Chet were on the inside with both adult Mortons' on the outside. Then Callie and her family posed, and finally it was the Hardy's turn.

Laura got on Frank's side and wrapped a hand around her waist, encouraging him to do the same. Fenton put am arm around Joe's waist as the younger did the same. Fenton's hand found his wife's on the back of their sons and held it. Laura felt her eyes mist up as she thought of her children growing up and leaving, every mother's worst fear. Fenton squeezed her hand and she could tell he was feeling the same way.

The cameras lowered and Frank glanced at his watch. "We're supposed to meet Phil, Biff, and Tony in a few minutes."

"Drive safely son," Fenton gave both Frank and Joe a hug, then backed up to gaze upon both his beautiful, happy children.

"Have a good time!" Laura embraced both her sons and held them for a minute.

"Be safe. Don't do anything foolish. I know what happens at these dances." Gertrude reminded, grinning.

The group piled into the Hardy's van and prepared to have the time of their lives.

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The dance was in full swing by the time the circle of friends arrived. Music was blasting, people were dancing, a great sight to the youngest Hardy. The group walked in and were immediately flocked by their classmates, and teammates alike saying their hellos, and how good they looked in their formal wear. The Hardy's and their dates made their way towards their friends who were casually standing by the snack table.

"Hey, there's the football stars! Frank, Joe, Iola, Callie we're all going to Mr. Pizza's after the dance." Tony exclaimed, seeing the Hardy's approach.

"Sounds good Tony!" Joe exclaimed.

"What took you so long? We've been waiting forever!" Biff complained. "Sandy and I haven't even gotten to dance yet!" Biff had brought the head cheerleader, Sandy Cooper.

"You all look great!" Phil said smiling.

"Thanks Phil, so do you. And sorry Biff, you know how Aunt Gertrude is with her pictures!" Joe practically had to yell at over the music.

"Now that we are here, let's dance!" Callie yelled and pulled Frank out onto dance floor.

Soon the group dispersed to dance with their selected dates, leaving only Joe and Iola at the snack table. They had come as to the dance as friends, upon Iola's request. Joe had asked her to be his girlfriend, but she wasn't ready for a steady relationship just yet. Due to her reluctance, she proposed they'd go to the dance together. She really liked Joe, and seriously considered to go out with him. Maybe she'd say yes after homecoming.

"So," Joe said sheepishly. "Do you want to dance?"

"Are you kidding me? I love this song!" Iola grinned, referring to the upbeat song playing. Joe laughed led her to the dance floor.

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As the dance began to wind down, the slow songs took over the gymnasium. Callie laid her head against Frank's shoulder, he placed a hand on her back as they swayed to the music. Frank held his date close, realizing how beautiful she was. Callie was wearing a gorgeous blue dress that complimented her tanned skin and brown eyes, her blonde hair was done in a stylistic up-do. Frank leaned in and lightly brushed his lips over Callie's.

Joe was thinking similarly as he slow danced with Iola. She looked absolutely stunning in a simple yet elegant purple dress with her brown hair curled in ringlets, framing her petite face.

"Joe?" She mumbled into his chest.

"Hm?" Joe replied dreamily.

"I really do like you, you know."

Joe looked down, bewildered. "So, does this mean what I think it means?"

"Yes, Joe. I'd love to be your girlfriend."

Joe was over the moon with excitement. She had finally said yes! He encircled his arms around her waist, lifted her up and swung her around in a circle before putting her back on her feet, grinning wildly.

Iola giggled and blushed, before breaking into one of her fabulous smiles as well.

It really was one of the best nights of Joe Hardy's life.

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Meanwhile at the Hardy residence, the three elder Hardy's were watching a romantic comedy, secretly absorbed in their own memories of their own high school years. Fenton was thinking about how lucky he was to have married his date for senior prom, he draped an arm around her shoulders and Laura placed her head against his shoulder. Gertrude had gone to her homecoming and prom with one of her very good friends, Richard. They had broken up right after graduation.

"I'm going to go make a snack. You want anything?" Laura addressed her two companions for the night.

"Just tea for me, please." Gertrude said somberly. She was always a tad depressed when the boys weren't home.

"No tea for me. But why don't you make a big bowl of popcorn for us to share?" Fenton suggested.

Laura nodded and exited the living room, heading for the kitchen. She began humming a tune to herself as she filled a kettle with water and placed it on the stove. _Gosh, I hope the boys are having a good time._ She thought to herself as she placed the bag of popcorn in the microwave. Come to think of it, the tune was the song that her and Fenton had danced to at their prom, and again at their wedding.

A shrill ring of the phone brought her back to reality. In the other room, Fenton rose to answer it.

"Hello?" He asked into the receiver.

"Fenton? This is Ezra."

"Good evening Chief!" Fenton exclaimed, not having talked to the chief of the Bayport police department in quite some time.

"Fenton listen to me. Louis Callaway has escaped from jail and we think he's going to go after Frank and Joe!"

**I hope you guys liked it! Please leave me a review. Answer this question: New Year new...? Don't say new year new me without explanation! Bye! **


	11. Chapter 11: Prison Break

**Hello all! **

**LaurenHardy13 and RedCakeMaine: Aww thank you! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. **

Chapter 11: Prison Break

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16) 

About 24 hours prior

"Everything is all set, Freakshow. I'm ready whenever you are." Snake said, slapping a hand on his comrade's shoulder.

Louis smiled, exposing rotting, yellowed teeth. He hadn't been keeping up with his dental hygiene since he had been incarcerated. In fact, he hadn't been keeping up with any hygiene whatsoever. He hadn't showered in a week, and smelled something awful, he couldn't remember the last time he'd shaved and dark scruff was beginning to take over his face. With alcohol being banned, Louis had sobered considerably, taking to smoking rather than drinking. His beer belly had been replaced with pure muscle, the rest of his body bulging with manicured thickness, and his skin laced with tattoos.

It was dinner time in the West Virginia Correctional Facility, and all the inmates were in one room. Some were gambling, some were smoking, and some were just eating the disgusting prison food. It was odd that the guards let everyone eat in the same room. Snake, Louis and several others were supposed to be under high security, but there was no difference. Since becoming close friends with Snake, Louis had become one of the most feared inmates in the place. People actually cowered under his gaze, he loved it. It was just like being back at home. He had a certain dominance over everything. It was what drove him, gave him a sense of undeniable power.

Louis had to admit, going to jail was one of the best things that had ever happened to his physical body. He looked like The Hulk, and felt like it too. He was stronger than he had ever been in years and even learned some new torture techniques from his fellow jailbirds. There wasn't much to do in the place besides gamble, smoke, work out, and plan.

Snake and Freakshow had been planning their escape for quite a long time now. They thought of every single detail, down to the nitty gritty pieces. They've worked out every element of their plan, even blackmailing, and threatening some of the other inmates to help them. It was foolproof.

Louis took a small bite of his overcooked brussels sprouts, and suddenly collapsed onto the floor in convulsions. All at once the prison broke into chaos at the sight. The guards rushed towards the large man, who had white, foamy, liquid coming out of his mouth. They knelt down and tried to stop his seizure, but to no avail for he violently convulsed and flailed. "Get a medic!" One of the guards shouted, bystanders doing their part. Louis' eyes were rolling back into his skull and his hand crept into a pocket of the head guard. As soon as the medic arrived, Louis stopped convulsing, and lay still, his eyes closed, and breathing easy, and regular. As they carried him out he couldn't stop a smile from gracing his lips. _Too easy. _

_Damn_, Snake thought. _That actually looked real._ The man pocketed the white powder he had sprinkled on the Brussels sprout to cause his friend to foam at the mouth. Snake sighed, spending quality time with Marvin hadn't done Louis any good. Even Snake had to admit that. There was a fine line between sane and insane, and Marvin had pushed Louis so far over the edge there was no coming back. A few months ago, Marvin had been found dead in his cell, both wrists slashed open. Suicide.

It was pitch black outside when it was time to put their plan to action. At exactly 11:43 the security cameras would go off and so would all the lights in the prison, a favor pulled by a fellow criminal. The cameras and lights would only stay out for exactly fifteen minutes until the back up generator kicked in. That didn't leave any room for error. Louis, who was laying in his cot, turned over onto his side and watched the clock strike 11:42. They didn't have much time, but Louis had to act like it was a normal night. True to his word, at exactly 11:43 Louis watched the red light on the security camera go out, and a second later blackness engulfed the prison. Louis and Snake swung into action, both running to their respective cell doors as Louis reached into the waistband of his briefs and produced a master key card that he had swiped from the guard. As soon as they were out of their cells, they stealthily ran to the door that would lead them into another part of the prison. Snake hit the button that he had seen all the guards use to open every cell at once. This was a very crucial part of their plan, a diversion. Louis swiped his card and the door to another part of the jail swung open to reveal a pissed off night guard. The guard automatically reached for his revolver, but Louis was quicker, he jabbed the guard in the throat before snapping his neck. The duo ran past the dead guard, seeing other maximum security prisoners following close behind as they raced towards the exit, avoiding the other night patrols who were too busy checking the power boxes. Another favor called in, knowing each night guards' patrol route. Pandemonium spread throughout the prison quickly, other inmates escaping, going after the guards, and running wild. Gunshots were fired, and yells could be heard as the guards caught on.

"The gang should be out front!" Snake hissed as they raced against the clock. Their cell block was the farthest from the main exit.

There was a guard at the front of the building, he was reading a newspaper, oblivious to the mass prison break happening right under his nose. Snake took care of him by slicing his throat with his hidden switchblade. The poor man never knew what hit him.

Another swipe of that handy dandy key card and the main gates opened, letting all of West Virginia's most wanted out into the world. Snake and Louis ran towards a waiting van and leapt in. The van sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in it's wake. Louis glanced in the rear view mirror, watching as the lights flickered on inside of the prison as the generator kicked in. An alarm sounded, overpowering the gunfire for a split second before the sounds were competing with each other, signaling a successful prison break.

Louis and Snake greeted the rest of the gang, as they headed down the highway towards the drug house that belonged to one of the gang members.

Louis grinned evilly, he would get his revenge. He had worked way too hard for him to fail, waited too long to be stopped. Those boys would suffer, just as he had in that hellhole. He wanted to see the looks on their faces when they learned of his escape. He wanted to feel their fear as he took them back to their old lives. He wanted to hear them scream, and beg for him for mercy. He wanted to see the pure terror in their eyes as he slowly tortured them to death. He wanted to see Fenton Hardy's face when he, Louis, showed up on their doorstep. Maybe he'd cut off pieces of the boys and send them to the Hardy's in boxes. That would show them just what he was capable of. He'd listen to their pleas of him to offer a ransom and he'd comply, then put a bullet in each boy right in front of their parents.

Oh yes, Louis Calloway was ready. Ready for revenge.

**Hope you guys liked it! Please leave me a review. There's a new poll on my profile. Check it out!**


	12. Chapter 12: Ready to Kill

**Hi again. Ok Im just going to say this now, THIS CHAPTER IS REALLY BAD. Like I feel so terrible writing it. But it had to be done. Yes the rating is now M. Be warned. Remember Adam Foster? The boys lawyer way back a few chapters ago? This is about him and his family. **

**I'm looking for a beta for this story. Please PM me if interested. **

**ErinJordan: Thanks. I look forward to your reviews. **

**Funkydude: I try to update at least once a month but like every writer, life gets in the way. Thank you for your encouragement. It helped me actually get my butt in gear and write. If I don't update soon again, please tell me to do so. **

**Guest: I'm sorry you had to wait so long. Hope this chapter paid off.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys. I suppose I own Louis and Snake but I'm not claiming them just in case. **

**WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: LANGUAGE, MURDER, RAPE **

Chapter 12: Ready to Kill

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16) 

It was family night at the Foster house, and everyone was in the best of spirits. Adam Foster and his wife, Amanda had taken a day off to spend with their family. They even told the housekeeper, and the children's nanny to take a night off. The couple had two daughters, twins named Amelia and Andrea, Amy, and Annie for short. Today was the twins' tenth birthday, and they had chosen to spend the night with their parents, as opposed to having a sleepover with their friends. Pink and purple balloons, and streamers decorated the inside of the large Victorian Style house as well as the mailbox, and porch.

Currently, the family of four were playing Candyland, Amy was winning while Annie wasn't too far behind. They were all laughing and having a great time, no one was fighting, or crying and that's always a good sign. They weren't a perfect family, but Adam felt blessed to have them.

For their birthday, the twins got clothes, nail polish, kites, sports equipment and fuzzy blankets. A pink one for Amy, and purple for Annie.

Both the girls were very involved with their school and community. Amy was a dancer, and Annie was on the soccer team. They loved animals, and wanted to volunteer at the animal shelter when they got to be teenagers and were set on being veterinarians and opening up their own practice together as adults. The girls were family oriented but also had a lot of close friends. They were caring, down to earth and nice to everyone. No one ever had a bad word to say about them.

The twins inherited their mother's long, slightly wavy, dark auburn hair and her slender figure. However, they got their father's sparkling blue eyes and his loving personality

Adam leaned over the couch to move a piece of her dark hair and kissed his wife on the cheek. "Great party." He whispered in her ear while the twins took their turn at the game.

It had been a few weeks since Adam had been home, being a lawyer demanded travel, and extra hours. He had just returned from a three week murder trial in California. He had gotten the murderer out on a technicality, he was one of the best lawyers in the country, hell he hadn't lost a case in six years.

Amanda was an accountant. She worked five days a week, all the way across town but always picked up her children from school everyday. On Fridays, she took a half day to take her kids for ice cream when the weather was warm, and hot chocolate when it wasn't. They took that time to catch up and share their weekly excursions. In a way, Amanda felt bad that Adam wasn't home all the time to see the girls, but the extra money helped them pay the bills, and afford daily luxuries.

"Alrighty then." Adam said when the game ended. "Who wants cake?"

"Me!" Chorused the two young ladies.

For dinner, Amanda had made the twins' favorites: macaroni and cheese, salmon, and sweet potatoes. In addition to dinner, Amanda had made the chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate chips layering the top. It had ten brightly lit candles placed in a circle. The girls gasped when the cake was brought out, delightful smiles lit up their faces.

"Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday Dear Amy and Annie

Happy Birthday to You." The parents sang to their children as they watched with heavy hearts as the candles were blown out. Soon their daughters would want to spend their birthdays with their friends, then college, and then they wouldn't be kids anymore. A sad thought to any parent.

The twins were snuggled in between their parents while they are their cake in front of the television, a rarity. The twins' favorite movie was playing, The Fox and the Hound.

"This is the best cake ever, mommy." Annie quipped happily.

"Thank you, love." Amanda replied, stroking Annie's hair.

Amy poked a finger into the icing a wiped it on Annie's cheek, Annie gasped playfully and took a handful of her cake and shoved it into the face of her twin, giggling. Adam and Amanda took part also by dabbing each other's noses with frosting. Soon, they were all laughing madly, cake everywhere, on the hardwood floor, oriental rug, and the leather couch.

The doorbell rang._ And this is why we don't eat on the couch_. Adam chuckled as he got up to answer the door, stopping at the kitchen to grab a towel and clean his face up first.

He opened the door with a smile on his face that quickly melted into a look of shock, his eyes bulging. The balloons on the porch fluttered to the ground, popped and lifeless.

"Good evening Mr. Foster. Having a party I see?" A voice growled, a sharp butchers knife gleaming in the moonlight.

Adam snapped out of his shock, and attempted to slam the door in the face of the intruder. However, Louis and his cronies shoved hard, gaining entry to the home.

"Amanda!" Adam yelled into the living room, "Call the police!" Adam grabbed a table lamp and held it in front of him defensively.

"There's no need, you'll all be dead by then." Snake hissed, and advanced on Adam.

Adam swung the lamp, hitting Snake in the head. A loud crack ensured and glass scattered the floor. But the lamp didn't even effect Snake as the man snarled and kept coming, brass knuckles glinting dangerously.

Adam dropped the lamp, and threw a hard punch, hitting Snake in the nose, his only thought, protect his family.

Snake's head snapped back, but he recovered quickly holding his nose and swiped his knife, cutting Adam's shirt, barley grazing his skin. Louis grinned and moved in on the lawyer, holding him by the neck while Snake punched him in the face and stomach. Adam fought back courageously landing a few punches on his assailants, but it was a loosing battle. There was a crack, and a terrible pain in the man's ribs, he sank to the floor moaning.

"I be'n lookin' forward to dis for a long time, Mr. Foster." Louis drawled, bending down to whisper in the man's ear. "Ev'r since ya sent me ta jail!" He rasped, relishing in Adam's quiver.

Adam was a mess, blood dripping from his face, chest and sides aching, it hurt to breathe. He spat out a bloody tooth and glared at Louis and Snake. "Get the hell out of my house!" He tried to yell, but coughed up blood.

Louis kicked him onto his back and Adam groaned, leaning his head back into the blood splattered floor.

"You'll regret messin' wit me, Foster, cause I'm gonna gut ya like I gutted ma kids!" Louis yelled, and plunged the butchers knife into Adam's stomach. The lawyer let out an anguished scream.

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Amanda heard her husbands yell and the struggle taking place in the foyer, she grabbed her frightened daughters hands and ran upstairs into the master bedroom, locking the door and told the girls to crawl under the bed. She picked up the phone to call the police, but the line was dead. "Fuck." She whispered, setting the phone back on the cradle and crawled under the bed with her crying girls. The bedroom was on the third story, there was no way the girls would survive the fall.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Amy whispered, tears running down her face.

"I don't know, honey." Amanda replied, not sure what to say to her frightened daughters. "Mommy needs you to be strong. Can you do that?"

"Where's Daddy? Is he okay?" Annie asked.

"Yes, of course he is, baby." Amanda closed her eyes and prayed she was right.

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Downstairs, Louis and Snake were still beating and cutting Adam, he had passed out a few minutes ago. The larger men got up and began ransacking the house, taking anything and everything of value. Louis came across one of many family photos, he picked it up and stepped back into the foyer, where Adam was beginning to stir.

"Dis your family?" Louis asked, shoving the photo in Adam's face. The man didn't say anything. Louis growled and slapped Adam hard. "Where are they!"

"Not here." Adam replied weakly.

"Really? So you watch Disney movies, eat cake and hang balloons by yourself?" Snake chimed in, stepping into the room cracking his knuckles.

"We'll find 'em, Foster. We'll find 'em and rip 'em to pieces like ya ripped ma family apart!" Louis laughed maliciously. "Ya have a beautiful wife. Can't wait ta cut 'er up like ma boys did to mine."

Adam's eyes widened, "No," he gurgled. "Don't touch them."

"And these girls, they your daughters?" Snake asked. "Wonder how loud they'll scream when I drive into them." The vile man grinned evilly and thrusted his hips.

"You sick bastard, I'll, I'll kill you!" Adam sputtered, blood flaking his lips, paling considerably.

"No Foster, ya got it backwards." Louis sneered. "It will be us killin' ya." He drove the knife hilt deep into Adam's chest. The father's eyes rolled back into his head as his body relaxed.

_Protect the family_

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Louis and Snake climbed the stairs, due not finding anyone on the first floor. They entered the first bedroom a girls room, decorated in pink. Finding no one, they moved on to the second bedroom, purple with stuffed animals on the bed. Finally, they forcefully entered the last bedroom.

Amanda heard the door open, and wrapped hands around her daughters mouths to keep them from whimpering. She herself was terrified. If they got up here, then something must've happened to Adam.

"Come out, come out little piggies." Snake jeered into the room. "Maybe you're in the closet!" The closet was flung open and clothes were thrown out. "No? Not in the closet, huh piggies?"

Louis scanned the room, the only other hiding place was under the four post king sized bed. He pointed to Snake and told him to go to the other side. The men slowly walked to opposite sides of the bed. Underneath the girls were practically shaking in fright. They watched the two sets of black shoes slowly circling the bed, like sharks.

"Hello piggies!" Snake exclaimed happily, yanking Amy out by her ankle, she let out a shrill scream before Snake clamped a hand over her mouth.

Louis drug Annie and Amanda out, Amanda's arms were wrapped protectively around her daughter. Louis separated them, Amanda fought viciously, punching, kicking, biting and clawing her way out of the mans grasp. A strong punch sent her reeling, her head hit the nightstand and she was out cold. Louis duct taped the twins' wrists behind their back while they cried.

"Do ya know who we are?" He asked them quietly.

The girls shook their heads in fear.

"We're your worst nightmare." Snake finished, flexing his arm muscles. "See, yer Daddy sent me to prison, but we escaped." The twins shrieked when Louis took out his already bloodied knife. Annie kicked out at the man with all her strength surprised when it landed. Louis grunted, holding his jaw.

"You little shit." He growled and began slapping and punching her.

"Annie!" Amy cried out. "Leave my sister alone!" She tried to shove the man off of her twin but to no avail. Snake grabbed her and began to tape her ankles together, a snarl plastered on his face.

"Feisty. Just the way I like 'em." Snake whispered in Annie's ear before placing a strip of tape over her mouth.

"Go get Foster, if he's still alive. I want 'im to see dis." Louis commanded Snake who obliged, running out of the room, stairs creaking as he dragged a semiconscious Adam up and into the bedroom, leaving a thick trail of blood in his wake.

"You fuck with my family, I fuck yours." Louis growled, and licked Annie's cheek. "Vanilla, my favorite."

Adam was slumped against the bed, he watched in horror as Louis took off his pants and flipped Annie onto her stomach. He felt so groggy, like in a nightmare he couldn't wake up from. On the other side of his vision he could see Snake nibbling at Amy's ear.

Adam couldn't take it anymore, he rose shakily to his feet in order to defend his daughters. He slowly snuck into the closet where a hidden gun was placed, only he knew about it and now was the time to use it. Adam suddenly felt weak and leaned against the wall, gun in hand, and blood soaking his shirt. He heard muffled screams from the bedroom and put his ailments aside. He reentered the room to a horrid sight, the two intruders were raping his precious gemstones.

Adam felt faint, this could not be happening. His mind was quickly overtaken by anger, a red haze clouded his vision. Adam raised his pistol and fired, hitting Snake in what he hoped was the chest. The burly man fell back, and lay still.

Adam leveled his gun and pointed it toward Louis, but the man was gone. The room was spinning around him, and Adam collapsed next to his daughters, their blood everywhere. Adam reached out towards his broken girls and held them awkwardly as to not upset his wounds or theirs. He gently placed their heads on his shoulders. The trio were laying on the hardwood floor on their backs, Adam's arms stretched out cradling his children. They looked terrible, eyes glazed over, still bound and gagged, Annie had cuts and bruises all over her pretty face. His eyes fell on Amanda, who seemed to only be unconscious. Thank god he could see the steady rise and fall of her chest. He turned his head to try to find the men that did this, neither were there. Not the one he shot or Louis Callaway.

"Oh, baby they were so fucking _tight_." Snake laughed, stepping out of the shadows and into Adam's hazy vision. He didn't even have a scratch. Adam's eyes widened as he held his daughters impossibly closer as their bodies went rigid.

"No. No. But how?" Adam slurred, consciousness fading fast.

"Bulletproof vests, Foster." The man smirked.

"Do ya want to watch yer wife die first? Or yer daughters?" Louis asked, drawing his knife.

Adam didn't say anything, the thought was too much to bear.

"We'll choose for you." Snake whispered and pointed Fosters gun at Amanda.

"No!" Foster hoarsely whispered.

A loud shot rang out, then another, then another. Annie and Amy pressed their battered bodies into their fathers.

"Nooo!" Adam moaned, rolling his head back to look at his wife. She was dead, that he knew. One bullet to the stomach, one to the chest, and one to the head.

"Amanda.." Adam groaned, anguish seeping into his voice.

_Mommy_? Amy thought, the gunshots barley registering in her foggy mind. She tried to peak over her dad's shoulder but he held her back.

"No baby, don't don't look." Adam whispered into Amy's hair.

"Now is yer daughters turns." Louis replied, hate in his eyes, vengeance in his heart. He knelt down and into Adam's face said, "Ya should've defended me better, Foster. If ya had defended me right, then we wouldn't be in dis situation now woulda we?"

Adam sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please not my daughters!" He begged. "They're so young, they have their whole lives ahead of them. Spare them Louis, please!"

Louis smirked. "Spare them like you spared me?"

He held his butchers knife in front of Adam's face, letting him see the fresh blood gleam on the sharp metal.

"Doncha worry, Mr. Foster, I'll make sure it's a slow, painful death. Jus' like mah wife." Louis slurred.

With that, Louis bent down and ran the knife along Annie's cheek, cutting slightly, she watched him with wide, fearful eyes, tears staining her cheeks. Louis began to cut, he slashed her arms, her legs, and her face while she squirmed, wiggled and made muffled cries into her gag. Adam was drifting in and out of consciousness, with only a minute sense of reality. His head lolled to the other side and saw Snake cut into Amy's chest.

Finally it was over, both men stopped, leaving their victims bruised, bloody and wishing for death, their bodies still pressed against their father's. Adam was miraculously hanging on, but just barley.

Adam's eyes fluttered open, his eyes resting on Amy, Snake saw this and took out the gun. He placed the gun on Amy's forehead, right between her eyes. She whimpered and tried to shrink into the floor. Snake casually glanced over at Adam, making sure he was watching, and pulled the trigger.

_NOOOOOO!_ Adam's mind screamed.

The sound was deafening, Adam squeezed his eyes shut he couldn't bear to see it. He felt Amy's body go slack. Beside him, Annie let out a horrified scream. Adam's eyes snapped open and he immediately regretted it. Amy's small head was horribly disfigured, her face turned towards Adam, eyes glazed over and staring forever into oblivion a hole in the center of her forehead, blood was dribbling down the side of her pale face.

Adam squeezed his eyes shut, let the tears fall and held the only daughter he had left, he pressed her head further into his shoulder to comfort them both. Unfortunately, Amy's head was still on Adam's chest, and that pained him greatly.

"It'll be over soon, sweetheart." Snake said with mock sympathy.

Louis reached down to grab the girl's chin and forced her to look at him. He took his blade letting it drift across her vision slowly. The defeated look in her eyes showed her suffering. Even if Louis let her live, she'd never be the same.

"Don't touch her!" Adam whispered.

Louis paid no attention as he swiftly slit Annie's throat. There was a gurgling sound and blood pooled out of her mouth and onto Adam's shirt before the girl lay still.

Adam let an anguished cry escape his lips. His whole family was dead, he had one job and he failed. He could feel himself growing weaker, whether it be shock, or loss of blood he didn't know.

Louis leaned over him, "Ya deserve this, Foster. Did ya enjoy watching yer family die?" The man sneered. "I sure enjoyed it. Taking their virginity, beating them, killing them." He signed. "It's a shame it has to come to an end." He twirled the knife between his fingers and licked the blood off. "See you on the other side, Foster." Louis plunged the knife through Adam's right eye, feeling it go through the back of his skull and into the floorboards below.

Snake and Louis admired their handiwork for a few moments. "We have to leave soon if we want to get it New York in an hour." Snake said quietly.

Louis' eyes never left his victims. "It felt good didn't it. It's be' too long."

Snake nodded, "I'll be in the car." He left the room.

Louis stayed behind and pulled another knife out of his jacket. He knelt down towards Foster and cut deeply into his chest to take a souvenir.

**Now who really hates Louis? I do! Please let me know if anyone is interested in being a beta for this story. And check out my poll on my profile. Please leave me a review. Even if it's to tell me I'm a bad person for killing that family. Have a good rest of your day! **


	13. Chapter 13: The Kidnapping

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry for not updating but school has been hectic. Wow guys, happy 1 year anniversary to this story and happy 18th birthday to me. Jeez it's been a year, I did not plan for it to take so long. But thanks to everyone who has stuck with it these 365 days. Still looking for a Beta for the rest of the story. Pm me if you're interested. **

**ErinJordan: He will, in time. But he definitely will. **

**Guest: He's in this choppy don't worry! I love Joe**

**the other 3 guests: Since y'all said pretty much the exact same thing I'll just combine your responses. Savvy? Thanks for pushing me to keep writing. I was getting writers block halfway through.**

**Who reads authors notes? Onto the story which your all probably skipping to anyways**.

Chapter 13: The Kidnapping 

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16) 

It was almost eleven o'clock at night when the last song started playing. The live band made one last dedication to the Bayport High School lovers before strumming the opening chord. It was a slow song, so the couples could have one last moment together. All the people who had come to the dance alone or with friends slowly filed out the door to get a head start in the traffic that was to ensure.

Frank held his girlfriend close, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as they swayed to the beat. He didn't want this night to end! Frank sighed deeply, relaxing as Callie entwined her fingers through his hair. Callie's eyes left Frank's and traveled down to his lips and leaned in close for a passionate kiss.

Joe was dancing with Iola, his hands were resting on her waist, her arms loosely draped around his neck, head resting against his broad shoulder while his chin was buried in her silky hair. His heart fluttered as he caught a whiff of her strawberry scented shampoo. God, how he loved that smell. The disco ball was throwing bits of colored lights around them, bouncing off Joe's eyes, Iola's dress, the floor beneath them and Iola's hair, looking like sequins. Joe smiled as he thought of his future with Iola, she had finally said yes! He still couldn't believe it.

Once the song ended, everyone clapped for the band before heading out to the parking lot. It was crowded and people were pushing and shoving their way to their cars, eager to get to the after parties.

"See you at Mr. Pizza's." Frank told Callie, letting go of her hand as the group drifted towards their respective vehicles.

Frank and Joe waited around, letting the parking lot clear out a little first because Joe was so impatient during traffic. They were leaning against their van listening to their classmates honk their horns at each other. For October, it was quite warm out, and a beautiful night. Frank was gazing upwards, looking for constellations in the darkened sky.

"Iola said yes." Joe broke the silence between them.

"Really?" Frank turned to his brother, wide eyed. "Congratulations Joe, that's great!"

"Thanks." Joe smiled happily.

"We can double date now!" Frank said, excitedly. Like Joe, Frank had been awaiting this moment as well.

Finally, the parking lot cleared out enough for them to leave. Frank opened the drivers side, door climbed in and started his checklist. He had just gotten his license a few weeks ago and still considered himself a new driver. The passenger side door creaked open and Joe plopped down next to him, a cheesy smile on his face.

"Hurry up, Frank! I'm starving!" Joe mocked Frank's pre-driving routine.

_Mirrors? Check. Seatbelt? Check._ "I'm sure you and your stomach can wait a little longer." He glanced over at Joe. "Put your seatbelt on."

"Yes, Aunt Gertrude." Joe replied sarcastically, but complied.

Eventually, Frank started the car and put it in drive. He drove out of the school parking lot and towards Mr. Pizza's.

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"The band was really good this year." Joe said, gazing out the window as the landscape flew by.

"I agree." Frank replied, eyes not leaving the road ahead. "Tonight was fun."

"Yes it was." Joe paused before breaking into a hearty smile. "I saw you and Callie lip locking!" He teased.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Oh Joe, we were not 'lip locking', we kissed."

"Frank and Callie sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Joe sing-songed.

"Shut up, Joe." Frank tried to scold, but he was smiling. "That'll be you and Iola some-" it was then that Frank glanced in the rearview mirror to see a shadowy...something in the back of the van. Whatever it was, it wasn't there before.

"Frank?" Joe asked, feeling the tension rise, he turned slightly towards the back of the van. Frank was dumbly squinting in the rearview mirror, trying to make out the new threat. It looked almost human, but only just.

Suddenly the figure sprung forward, snaked an arm around the passenger seat and held a knife to Joe's throat.

The younger Hardy froze as he felt the cold metal press against his skin. Due to the angle of the mirrors, he couldn't see who was behind him, but could smell the potent alcohol on his breath and feel his strength through the blade.

"Hello boys. Ya miss me?" Louis said, grinning evilly. Joe went rigid, immediately recognizing the sound of a drunk, redneck man he had tried to forget.

Frank gasped, eyes wide, and fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. He wanted to slam on his brakes, but they were on a crowded highway. It just wouldn't be safe, not to mention the harm it could cause Joe. Frank began to steer the car towards the shoulder of the road.

"Oh no, boy. Ya keep on drivin'. We're goin' on a road trip." Louis laughed but turned serious a moment later. "Try any funny business, an' blondie 'ere gets it!" With his free hand, he grabbed a handful of Joe's hair, close to his scalp, and yanked back hard, causing Joe's back to arch and the blade to slightly bite into his neck. He let out a yelp which caused Frank to turn to him, concern, worry, and fear etched on his face.

"Keep yer eyes on the road, Michael." Louis sneered, watching Frank's reaction.

_Michael_. It'd been a long time since anyone had called him that. To Frank, the name just brought back memories of pain, hurt, hunger and fear.

"My name is Frank." Frank said as calmly as he could.

Louis tsked. "S'pose you need a reminder of what yer name is?"

Frank shuddered at the wheel, past memories flooding back. "No."

"No what?"

"No, sir." Frank whispered. Old habits die hard. Frank did as he was told and kept his eyes on the road, but he increased his speed hoping a cop would notice and have a reason to pull him over.

Joe felt a drop of warm blood slowly slide down his neck. The cut wasn't deep, just a scratch, but it still hurt like Hell. He tried to remain as still as possible, which was easy with Louis yanking his hair back and a knife pressed to his throat. He was attempting to stay calm, but failed miserably as fear and panic began to take over. _Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god ohmygod. This cannot be happening, this is not happening oh my god_.

They drove for awhile longer, the only voice being Louis' directing Frank where to go. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Louis directed Frank to pull into a wooded side street and stop the car. The road was deserted, it was far from the main highway and surrounded by dense woods. Frank had no other choice but to comply. He turned off the engine and waited. Frank began to relax as Louis slowly removed the knife from Joe's throat but kept a firm hand griping the boy's scalp.

Suddenly, Joe felt a sharp pain in his neck, he tried to fight it, the dizziness, nausea and sleepiness, but found he couldn't and succumbed to darkness in a matter of seconds.

"Joe!" Frank watched in horror as his brother was drugged, he scrambled to unbuckle his seat belt, but Louis was faster. He grabbed one of Frank's wrists but did not expect the teen to lash out. With his free hand, Frank punched Louis in the nose, hard enough for Louis to loosen his grip, and scrambled out of the van. Leaving an unconscious Joe slumped in the passenger seat.

Frank ran. He ran off the empty road and into the woods. He ran like the devil was on his heels, ducking under vines and tree branches to elude his captor. Suddenly, a man stepped from behind a tree and Frank collided with him, being knocked to the ground from the force of the man's chest.

Frank gazed up, seeing the bulging muscles and several tattoos Frank cringed. The man had a shaved head, but a full mustache and makings of a beard.

"Are you okay, son?" The man asked Frank, helping him up.

"No, please help me! A man, a man has my brother!" He panted, still winded, judgement clouded by fear

"What? What man?" The man masculine figure replied, genuinely shocked.

"My... It's a long story! Just call the police!" Frank yelled.

"Okay, okay, son calm down. Everything's going to be alright. You're safe now." The man paused "Michael." Snake grinned evilly.

Frank backed up, shaking like a leaf. "You... You..." Abruptly, he was grabbed from behind in a massive bear hug. Frank tried to scream but a meaty hand quickly covered his mouth. A needle pressed down into his neck and Frank faded into darkness.

**Thanks for reading! Please review tell me what you think constructive criticism appreciated. Please take the poll on my profile. Question for you all: what do you want to see happen next? There has to be some kind of torture sequence between Louis and the boys (you all want to read it too) so I need suggestions on that too. Please and thank you! **


	14. Chapter 14: Missing Friends

**Hello all! Thanks for reading! I apologize for not updating but I have been insanely busy. I'm trying out for college cheerleading and try outs are in 2 weeks, so I've been preparing for that, and prom is coming up, I have to find a dress and a date. And the last leg of the school year is killing me. Senioritis if you know what I mean. **

**ErinJordan: I did like those suggestions so no worries. But I feel like that's the exact same thing I did in Never the Same, torture one while the other watched. But thank you so much for suggesting it! **

**Guest: Who doesn't love a little Joe whump! ;) and thank you for the birthday wishes. **

**Walter: thanks! Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint **

**MaddyR: I don't even know what will happen next haha**

**still lookimg for a beta for the remainder of this story. If interested pm me. **

Chapter 14: Missing Friends 

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16)

"How the hell did that manic escape? He was on high security!" Fenton roared into the phone.

"I don't know Fenton. Try to get in touch with Frank and Joe. I'm sending officers to the high school now. And I'm sending Con and Sam over to your house." The police chief hung up. It was going to be a long night.

Fenton quickly dialed Frank's cell. _Come on_. One ring. "Come on," two rings. "Come on, Frank!" Three rings. "Answer the phone!" Four rings. "Frank answer the phone, dammit!" Fenton slammed the phone into the cradle before picking it back up again to try Joe.

By that time, Laura and Gertrude heard the yelling and had hurried into the room.

"Fenton, what's going on!" Laura asked, seeing her husband in a state of panic.

"Louis Calloway escaped from jail! They think he's going to come after Frank and Joe!" Fenton slammed the phone into the cradle once more. "And they're not answering their phones!"

Laura and Gertrude paled considerably.

"How?" Gertrude asked, outraged. "That man was on constant surveillance!"

"Start calling their friends." Fenton dismissed Gertrude's outburst. "They're supposed to meeting at Mr. Pizza's. I'm going to the high school." He told the ladies before grabbing his coat and keys and heading out the door.

Laura sat down on the couch, hands shaking and on the verge of tears she quickly dialed Chet's cell phone.

"Hello?" The stout boy answered, mouth clearly stuffed with pizza.

"Chet? This is Mrs. Hardy. Are Frank and Joe with you?" Laura attempted to sound calm.

"No, Mrs. Hardy, they're not. They were supposed to meet us here over a half an hour ago. Is everything alright?" Chet asked, worried.

"No, Chet." Laura's voice shook. "We don't know where the are, there's a man after them." Laura quickly recounted what Fenton had told her. "it might be too late." Her voice broke.

There was silence on the other end of the line. "We'll help you look. We'll drive around, see if we can find them."

"Thank you, Chet." Laura responded, silent tears running down her face.

At Mr. Pizza's, Chet and the gang were scared shitless. They had all heard of Frank and Joe's nightmarish past, the new threat was terrifying. Sure the boys had their share of kidnappings and pain, but nothing to this extreme. This vile man, who had kidnapped them and abused them for years, was back in their lives. No doubt seeking revenge against the entire Hardy family.

"Tony and I will drive downtown." Biff took charge. "Chet and Phil, you guys take the docks, and Callie and Iola, drive into the city."

"Good luck. Call if anyone needs help, or finds them." Tony said for the better of the group before they all departed to begin their frantic search for their missing friends.

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Fenton broke every traffic law possible in order to get to the high school. When he did, it was empty. Not a single car remained in the dimly lit parking lot and only a few streamers and balloons signified anyone had been there at all.

Fenton stepped out of his car and began to look for clues; tire tracks that could have proven Frank and Joe were taken by surprise, a bottle of alcohol with DNA on it, a hotel receipt clumsily showing where the bastard was staying, _anything_ to help find his boys. A few minutes passed, and Fenton still found nothing, a police cruiser pulled up next to him and two officers got out.

"We'll take it from here, Fenton." The first cop said, his name was Randy, he and Fenton had graduated the police academy together.

"You should be with your family. We'll call you if we find anything." The other officer finished sympathetically.

"I'm not just going to sit on my ass while my boys are in danger!" Fenton released some of his built up anger.

Suddenly, Fenton's phone rang. "Hello?" Fenton answered, still slightly irritated.

"Fenton, it's Ezra. You and I are going to fly out to the West Virginia Correctional Facility, in about thirty minutes. The supervisors have some information to share with us, and there could be clues in Louis Calloway's cell."

"I don't know, Ezra. I don't want to leave the state right now."

"Fenton," The chief sounded impatient. "Odds are he took them out of state. Probably is trying to get as far away from here as possible. This could give us a lead."

"I'm leaving now." Fenton said, relieved they were getting somewhere.

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In a desolate cabin deep in the New York mountains, two teenagers lay in separate identical rooms. The rooms were bare, the walls were white and each room had no furniture, but a filthy mattress. A lonely, naked bulb hung from the moldy ceiling for neither room had windows.

Both boys were bound with thin wire wrapped several times around their wrists and ankles and duct tape holding a gag in place inside their mouths.

The cabin was strategically built deep in the Adirondack Mountains, somewhere in Hamilton County. It was built far enough back in the woods that no tourists or hikers would know it was there. The cabin sat in a small valley surrounded by four large mountains, the only way to it was by foot. The nearest town was more than twenty miles away, and a little over ten miles from any hiking trails.

Louis stood outside the cabin overlooking the hills of the mountains. He had a toothy, giddy smile plastered on his face as he watched the sun rise over the peaks of the mountains. It was beautiful, a new start to an old routine. He turned and walked back into the small cabin. On the kitchen table lay a series of weapons and torture devices.

Louis smiled, a sinister mechanical giggle escaped his lips that sent chills down the gang's spines. Louis Calloway was going to have a lot of fun this time, not take anything for granted. Only when the boys were begging for mercy would he finally kill them.

He'd torture the boys to near death, then bring Fenton Hardy and his wife to watch the last bit before killing the boys, and having a little fun with the wife before killing her too, and_ maybe_ leaving Fenton alive to live life without them.

It was time to start the fun.

Hope you guys liked it! I still need more suggestions on what to do next. Please review!


	15. Chapter 15: Stalker

**Hey guys! Let me just apologize for being so slow at updating. My life has been super busy since... April... Shit. Has it really been that long? I'm so sorry guys. But since April I found my prom dress (it was pink:D) i went to my senior prom, took all my finals and AP tests and graduated high school (with 3 cords, NHS stole, and highest honors [having a 4.0 GPA since freshmen year] ) then I went on vacation, and had my college orientation, and now I'm planning my graduation party. Sorry for rambling. **

**ErinJordan- Thank you I'm glad you're enjoying it. **

**The 2 guests- So sorry! I promise I will update more frequently. **

**Joeneal- Don't worry. I will definitely finish this story. **

Chapter 15: Stalker

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16) 

When Fenton and the police chief landed, it was nearly six in the morning. The West Virginia Correctional Facility was still jam packed with people; reporters, news cameras, and police officers crowded around, trying to get some answers.

Fenton and Ezra exited the helicopter and were immediately swarmed by reporters and blinded by camera flashes.

"Mr. Hardy, what are you doing here?"

"Chief Collig! Is it true some convicts escaped?"

They pushed through all of the microphones, cameras and people to make it into the crowded building. The duo approached the warden.

The man was burly, with a wide, shaved head and small brown eyes. His name tag read Stanley. He was dressed in a black security guard uniform with "Warden" written on the back in large white lettering. It appeared he was in his mid-forties as he was somewhat muscular with a belly that slightly protruded over his belt. The utility belt he wore held a baton, flashlight, keys and a gun.

Chief Collig stuck out his hand. "My name is Ezra Collig, Chief of New York Police and this is Fenton Hardy, private investigator. We're here to look into the prison break."

"Right this way, gentlemen." The warden led Fenton and Ezra to a conference room. He shut the door before sitting down and lighting a cigar.

"Thank y'all for coming down here so fast. Name's Stanley Lutzwig, the chief warden here."

"Tell us what happened." Ezra said, cutting down to the chase.

Lutzwig took a puff of his cigar, "Not sure. I was doin' my rounds, around eleven-thirty. We lost power, which shouldn't have been a big deal because most of the cells are manual, except for the maximum security prisoners. Ya see, we're in the process of renovating." He motioned with his hands, waving the lit cigar aimlessly. "All of the lights and cameras went out. A few seconds later, I head a big hullabaloo coming from the D block, that's where the most dangerous criminals are kept. The other wardens and I ran over to it to see the entire D block running amuck. A whole fucking prison riot!" He took another puff before continuing. "As soon as we realized what was going on, we started fighting back; Shot some, tasered others. Overall we got everyone back into their cells, except two."

"Louis Calloway and his accomplice." Collig stated.

"Yes. His accomplice is Bernie Acerbi. An Italian native who moved to New York City in 1960 to pursue a title as a gang leader of the Black Dogs." He made eye contact with the Chief, "I assume you've both heard of the fearsome gang."

The two law enforcers nodded. The Black Dogs were one of the most powerful gangs in New York. They were incredibly dangerous and members were frequently arrested and killed in fights and rivalries. The gang was responsible for diversified crimes around the city including gang rape, assassinations, armed robbery, and other gang related activity.

Lutzwig placed Snake's file on the desk. "Back in Italy, he got into a lot of trouble. As a child, his parents were heavily into drugs. They both died before he turned twelve and little Bernie was sent to an orphanage. He got into all sorts of trouble there, caught stealin', hittin' the other kids, slashin' tires, breakin' into a school, even tried to strangle one of the other orphans. He went to a juvenile detention facility when he was fourteen for hot wiring a Mercedes. And again several times after that for various reasons." Lutzwig paused and flipped through the incredibly thick file. "Let's see, he came to the U.S when he was nineteen because he had a cousin who was part of the Black Dogs. After the previous leader of the gang was killed, Bernie took over at the age of twenty-one." Lutzwig placed Snake's mugshot on the table for the two men to see.

As Fenton took in the shaved head, full mustache, beady eyes and Southern Italian features something stirred in him. He knew this man. He had, in fact, incarcerated this man numerous times.

"I've dealt with him before." Fenton sighed and ran a hand through his already tousled hair. "This was one of my first cases as a PI; to put an end to the Black Dog gang. I infiltrated an armed robbery and arrested several gang members. Bernie Acerbi was one of those arrested. He only got three years though, and after that I arrested him again for drugs and again for murder, I was unable to make the last trial though."

"Fascinating." Lutzwig looked extremely curious. "Currently he is serving a minimum of three life sentences with no parole for multiple felonies." He rifled through the file. "Let's see, he's being held on twenty-one counts of rape, thirty-eight first degree murders, one hundred fifty separate possession of drugs, thirteen armed robberies, seventy-two kidnappings and fifty-four counts of torture."

Fenton and Ezra went pale, they were not prepared for that.

"Oh here it is!" Lutzwig's cigar bobbed up and down in his mouth. "It says here, the arresting party was Fenton Hardy of the Hardy Detective Agency." He looked up, approvingly at Fenton.

"Tell us about Acerbi's prison life." Ezra asked, feeling dread for the teens who had been through enough as it is.

"Certainly, certainly." The wide man paused, gathering his thoughts. "Acerbi came in and demanded people call him Snake, his gang name. We all assumed it was because he had tattoos of snakes up and down each arm, but turns out he liked to torture victims using snake venom."

Fenton's breath hitched, he feared for his boys. Joe was deathly afraid of snakes.

"When he came in here he was tough, the other inmates were petrified of him. He still had connections with his gang and their allies. He's started fights and has stabbed other inmates and killed one. He passed time by starting ruckus, playing poker, working out, and smoking. When Callaway came in, they became fast friends, Snake sorta took him under his wing. Showed him the ropes of prison life, how to be top dog and bend the rules."

"So Callaway became intimidating as well?"

"Very much so. He became Snake's second in command. Snake dubbed him 'Freakshow.' He sure was one messed up motherfucker!"

_Freakshow_. Fenton thought. _How fitting_. "What do you mean by messed up?" He wondered how hardened Louis had become. He looked imposing at the trial but that had been years ago.

"Well, when he first got here, Freakshow was fat and stupid, then he rolled with Snake and became muscular and smart. He got into so many fights, nearly stabbed a guards eye out with a plastic fork! He was high a lot of the time, dropping acid and started all sorts of hubbub. Then there was this one mentally ill prisoner, Marvin Masters. He and Freakshow got into an altercation which ended them both in solitary confinement. When they came out, Freakshow was acting like Marvin, humming and singing nursery rhymes. Real creepy if you ask me."

"So you believe that Freakshow developed some sort of mental illness from Marvin?" Ezra asked. Is that even possible?

"To an extent, yes. We believe he developed some sort of acute psychosis."

_Great_. Fenton thought. His boys were in some incredibly evil hands.

"Do you know how he got out of his cell?" Ezra asked.

"I think I have an idea. Yesterday, Freakshow had a seizure in the cafeteria. I think that when the guards were tending to him, he snatched their master key."

Fenton took notes as Lutzwig was talking. There was just one more thing. "Can we see their cells?"

Lutzwig went a little pale. "Right this way, gentlemen." He said uneasily.

They walked down the long halls in silence. Each lost in their own minds as their footsteps echoed. All of the inmates who hadn't escaped were back in their cells, many nursing injuries, others glaring at Fenton and Ezra menacingly.

Fenton was exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot and had heavy grey bags under them. He dragged his feet and felt ultimately, in despair. It appeared he had aged twenty years in just a matter of hours. The frazzled father was distraught, it felt like he was losing his sons all over again.

When they reached the second last cell on the left Lutzwig stopped.

"Oh my God." Fenton muttered, paling considerably.

Inside the cell, plastered on the far concrete wall were dozens of newspaper clippings, photos, letters and maps all depicting some part of the Hardy family life. The newspaper articles were all from papers around Bayport, all mentioning Frank and/or Joe. From sports events, to honor roll, to various awards.

Fenton's brow furrowed, trying to make sense of the madness.

_**Another Victory for Bayport High**_

_**Hardy Brothers Lead Bayport to Another Win!**_

**_Bayport High School- Undefeated! _**

The pictures included Hardy family photos that had, somehow, made it into the newspaper, Frank and Joe in their football and track uniforms, Frank holding an engineering award, Joe shaking hands with the Governor, among other celebratory events. In each family photo, Fenton and Laura's faces had been scratched, cut or burned out.

Every single case the Hardy's had ever solved was reported. Even the Hardy vs. Callaway case was portrayed.

Ezra's eyes were the size of dinner plates.

**_Another Case Closed by Hardy Detective Agency_**

**_Hardy Boys Rescue Governor_**

Fenton and Ezra stared open mouthed at all the maps on the wall, all of Bayport with locations circled in red ink. The Hardy home on the corner of Elm Street, Frank and Joe's school, the police station, Laura's place of employment and the little coffee shop Gertrude liked to visit.

The fixation wall was massive, spanning the majority of the cement enclosure that divided the cell and the outside world. It was absolutely terrifying.

This wasn't just revenge, now it was a deadly obsession.

**Wow I just realized what a boring chapter this was. Sorry y'all. But I did my research and Acerbi means heartless in Italian, pretty fitting for Snake don't you think? Now that it's summer I have more time to write so I promise I will update more. Please if you can, suggest any ideas for me for the next few chapters please! And also please review they mean a lot to me.**


	16. Chapter 16: A Helpless Soul

**Hey guys! I know it's been awhile and I apologize. I'm leaving for college tomorrow so I've been getting ready for that. I'm just going to say this now, once I get to college I might not update very much. I will finish the story, it might take me 5 years but it will be finished! Anyone who's recently read Never the Same or this story and who've seen some loose ends please tell me so I can tie them together. **

**ErinJordan: thanks! Frank and Joe are in this chappy! **

**JoeNeal: lol. Sorry. But they're in this one! **

**JoesFan: I'll try, but I might not be able too. Sorry. **

**RedCakeMaine: thank you for your suggestion. I will definitely use it in a later chapter. You gave me a fantastic idea. *Grins evilly* **

**walter: thank you for making me get my butt in gear and write. And yes it will be finished! Eventually. **

Chapter 16: A Helpless Soul

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16.)

Joe slowly opened his eyes. His mind still foggy from the drugs and for a second he thought he was still asleep because all he could see was black. Joe looked around aimlessly grasping for some memory of how he got there. He tried to sit up, but found it impossible, the act making him feel lightheaded and nauseous. He tried to touch his throbbing head with his right hand but found he couldn't. He shook his hand, listening to the chains rattle. He couldn't move his left hand either. Once his eyes adjusted to the overwhelming darkness, he could make out both his wrists handcuffed to the bedposts. Joe panicked and began furiously yanking at the bedposts in an attempt to free his numb hands.

Giving up on trying to free himself, Joe racked his memories for some hint of how he got into this mess. Did something go wrong during a case? Was he kidnapped? Was he dreaming? Where the hell was he?

He closed his eyes and mentally assessed himself. Nothing hurt too badly, except for a soreness in his neck and a killer headache. It didn't take long for him to realize that his jacket, tie, shoes and socks had been removed as well. All that remained was his white dress shirt, belt and dress pants.

Joe took a deep breath and tried to relax. Ok, it was Saturday, the homecoming game was the night before, the football team won, then there was the dance, he and Frank were going to meet their friends at Mr. Pizza's when...

Joe's eyes snapped open as memories assaulted him. Louis had kidnapped them, held a knife to his throat and jabbed him with something sharp. Joe inhaled sharply, his mind reeling. How long was he out? It could be next month for all he knew! But most importantly, where was Frank?

The younger Hardy started calling out for his brother.

"Frank!"

He was terrified, what if Louis had hurt him? Or even worse, killed him?

"Frank!"

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Frank awoke to someone calling his name.

"Go back to sleep, Joe." He mumbled sleepily.

"Frank! Frank! Where are you?" Frank heard the urgency in Joe's voice and opened his eyes.

He too was laying face up on the mattress, in nothing but his dress shirt and pants with both wrists cuffed to the bedposts.

*Oh shit* He thought as he remembered the crazed, emotionless look in Louis' eyes as he held a knife to Joe's throat.

Frank broke into a cold sweat as he remembered the fear he felt running through the woods. Who was that man in the woods? Frank pondered before Joe's call brought him back to reality.

"Frank!" Joe's scream was louder, more frantic.

"Joe!" Frank called back.

He was met with a moment of silence.

"Joe?" Frank called again, a little softer. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Frank. I'm okay." Joe replied, relieved and slightly calmer. "Any idea where we are?"

The sound was coming through the thin wall behind the headboard. Joe must be in the room next door, Frank concluded.

"Not a clue, little buddy." Frank sighed. "Are you hurt?" He had to get them out, before Louis showed up.

"No, you?"

"No."

Another moment of silence fell upon the brothers.

"Frank, what're we gonna do? He's going to kill us!"

"We have to get out of here. I can't see much, but by the looks of it, we're in adjacent windowless rooms." Frank concluded.

"Great work, Sherlock." Joe said sarcastically.

"Joe, listen. If there's no windows then we'll have to find a door. Which could mean going through Louis and his friend."

"Wait, what friend?" Joe asked.

"I don't know. I didn't really get a good look at him. He was big, real big. Probably someone from prison."

"I wonder how Louis got out." Joe mused.

"Me too, little brother." Their situation forgotten for a moment as their detective senses kicked in.

"But now we need to focus on getting out of here. First things first, get out of these damn cuffs." Frank said, focusing on the task at hand.

Joe was about to reply when suddenly voices were heard outside their rooms. Both boys strained their ears but couldn't make out what was being said.

Joe's eyes widened in fright as the door was thrown open, blinding the boy with the harsh, sudden light.

In stepped the feared man from their childhood, the man who had haunted their dreams for more than a decade. It had been more than six years since they had seen each other, but it felt like yesterday.

"Good morning, son." Louis greeted him with such fondness he almost seemed like a real father. "Ya sleep well?"

Joe kept his mouth shut, swallowed his fear and glared at the man.

"Well, I hope yer comfortable boy, because ya are never leavin'." Louis drawled menacingly.

The predicament fell on deaf ears though as Joe continued to silently glare at his captor, his mind creating scenarios in which he tortured Louis in the same manner as he had tormented them.

Louis sat on the edge of the bed, his hand reached out to caress Joe's face, but the youth snarled and threw his head towards the opposite shoulder.

Louis tsked and forcefully grabbed the young Hardy's face with both hands, forcing Joe to look at him.

"Are ya scared, boy?" He whispered staring into Joe's eyes, "ya better be fucking terrified ya little shit, because after I'm through with ya and yer brother you'll wish y'all were dead." He slapped Joe across his face, smiling as his head snapped to the left. "That's a promise."

Joe still didn't utter a sound. That seemed to displease Louis. "I hate defiance, boy. Thought ya had had enough after you lied about killing yer mother. Thought I beat the defiance outta ya." Louis frowned. "Guess I was wrong."

Snake and the other members of the Black Dog gang filed into the room. Each carried a weapon of choice; brass knuckles, knives, baseball bats, guns and lighters. Joe's eyes flicked around the room, astonished at the sheer size of Louis' army- both in numbers and physically. His fearful eyes were met with cold, heartless ones of the gang members.

Louis reached down and slowly undid Joe's belt.

"Get your hands off me!" Joe attempted to wiggle away from Louis.

"No! Don't touch me!" He shouted as his belt was completely removed and Louis was fiddling with the button and zipper on his black dress pants.

"You were always the pretty one"

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In the next room, Frank was pondering something awful. There were so many questions and not enough answers. It bothered Frank greatly that he couldn't hear much coming from the other room. Just a muffled voice, no doubt Louis Callaway. Frank prayed his father would find them before... Frank didn't want to think about the horrible things that could happen.

He absentmindedly felt around with his toes, he traced the wooden base board slowly, feeling for anything useful. His big toe came to rest upon a loose nail, Frank felt himself light up. Maybe they'd get out of this alive after all. Now all he had to do was get the nail out, and into one of his hands, somehow.

As Frank worked on loosening the nail with his toes, questions kept nagging his distraught mind. How Louis had escaped a maximum security prison in the first place? Knowing him, things must've gotten messy. Where were they? The last thing Frank remembered was being in a densely wooded area, not to far off a side road. Would their dad be able to find them before it was too late? Frank prayed to God that he did.

Suddenly, a scream tore through Frank's thoughts. The scream sounded terrified, helpless and painful.

"Joe!" Frank yelled, stopping his work, anxious to know what was happening. There was no doubt in his mind the scream came from his brother.

Another cry came from the room next door, now sounding more panicked.

"Nooooo!" Joe's voice cried out in pain and suffering. "Frank!" Thumping could be heard against the wall.

"Joe! Leave him alone, you bastard!" Frank felt hot tears slide down his face, he couldn't help Joe, couldn't protect him, couldn't take away his pain. And it was killing him.

"Frank!" The anguished cry for help sent new tears down his face. Frank began tugging at the handcuffs, rocking the bed and chaffing his wrists in the process. But he didn't care, his brother needed him.

The screams turned into pleads of mercy as Frank gave up on trying to break the bed. He focused on the loose nail, furiously twisting it between his toes, not caring if he got Tetnus.

The quieted pleads turned back to screams. "Damnit!" Frank yelled as the nail wouldn't come any looser.

"Joe I'm so sorry." Frank whispered to himself. He couldn't do anything to help his poor brother who was suffering through God knows what.

"FRANK!"

The older Hardy let out an anguished cry of his own. He was useless. He couldn't do the one thing big brothers were supposed to always do.

"FRANK!" He cried into his shoulder as more screams and cries for help fell on his ears.

Suddenly, silence was all that was heard from the other room.

"Joe?" Frank called out tentatively.

No answer.

"Joe?" Frank tried again, a little louder.

Silence.

**Thanks for reading all! Review please. And check out my new story!**


	17. Chapter 17: Dirty

**Hi guys! Yes I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry for keeping you guys waiting. But I just don't have much time to write anymore. I started college in August so all my free time has been going towards studying and stuff. But I'm home for the next few weeks so hopefully I'll get a few more chapters up. Do not give up on this story. **

**ErinJordan- Thanks for your continued support and I'll try to update more. **

**Rainbow Forest- I'm not sure if you're going to like what happens to Joe but... Happy reading. **

**Walter- thank you for your support and pushing me to write. **

**JoeNeal- no they don't rape him. I don't think I could do that to Joe. However they do something else that's equally as bad. I hope you continue to read this because this is the last time I mention rape or anything like it. **

**VVK- Sorry! They do do something sexual and I regret writing it now. But please keep reading. This is the last time anything sexual happens. **

**Joes Fan- I'm sorry! 5 years was an exaggeration. But yes, something sexual does happen but keep reading because this is the last time anything like it will happen. **

**ILuvJoe- Here's an update. I'll try to write more and update before January. **

**Puldoh- Here you go, my friend. **

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews guys! Keep 'em coming! **

**_WARNING- THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A SEXUAL SITUATION. NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC BUT READ AT YOUR OWN RISK_**

Chapter 17: Dirty

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16.)

Dirty. That's how Joe felt after he awoke. Violated, disgusting and filthy. He spat out a mouthful of blood as tears streamed down his face. Images and scenes flashed behind his eyes; Louis and his army coming in, taunting him, taking off his pants, touching him... And that repulsive moment in which Louis had forced his horribly erect self into Joe's mouth.

Joe cringed. He still couldn't get the taste of _him_ out of his mouth.

At least Louis hadn't taken his virginity. That was something to be thankful for.

He looked down at himself, all the new bruises forming caused by the beating that followed _the event_.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXFLASHBACKXXXXXXXXXXFLASHBACKXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Louis tugged Joe's pants off and threw them to land in a heap on the floor. "What're you doing?!" Joe yelled as his boxers were removed as well. "Stop!" He shouted but Louis only grinned. As the men in the room watched, Louis gently caressed Joe's inner thigh; slowly going up closer and closer to the jewels.

For Christ's sake, Iola hadn't even seen him like this before. Degraded and humiliated, Joe squirmed on the bed but the gang grabbed his ankles, pinning him.

"Get off of me you sick fuck!" Joe screamed before being struck by Snake who was enjoying the show very much.

Louis began to stroke Joe's penis. Gently at first, but soon becoming increasingly aggressive. Joe moaned slightly, hating his body's natural reaction.

"Ya like that, ya little slut?" Louis tugged harshly at Joe's member causing him to gasp.

"Stop. Please!" Joe begged. Tears of shame dripping down his face.

"Maybe this'll curb your defiance." Louis squeezed Joe's balls, hard. A scream erupted from the boy.

Snake punched Joe hard in the ribs, hearing a snap and a yelp he smiled at his brass knuckles approvingly.

Louis stood, seemingly incredibly tall over the youth. "Ya remember mah lawyer, don't'cha? Adam Foster?" Louis said while shedding his own pants.

Joe didn't respond, only stared at the half naked man in front of him. Drake, another henchmen, held a knife to Joe's side, and pressed down, cutting the poor teen and elicting yet another scream.

"Yes!" Joe cried. "I remember him!"

"Well, we paid 'im a visit a few days ago. We had some fun, didn't we Snake?" Snake smiled and nodded, exposing shark like teeth.

"We raped 'is daughters too." Louis said nonchalantly as Joe went pale.

"We didn't rape them, they were asking for it." Snake chimed in.

"Fucked 'em real well too. On their birthday." Louis leaned over Joe. "Then we slit their little throats while Foster watched." His emotionless beady eyes stared into Joe's very soul. "We killed 'im too, and 'is wife. He was a fighter. Just like you." He whispered the last phrase into Joe's ear before lightly nipping at his ear. Joe snapped his head to the side to avoid the unwanted contact.

"You're both sick." Joe whispered. "What the hell is wrong with you? Those girls never did anything to you and Mr. Foster only gave you what you deserved!" Joe fell silent, tensing, awaiting for the hit that never came. Quietly he whispered, "Do you even have a soul?"

"See that's the thing Danny boy. We don't." Louis smiled. "'Dis is all on you, ya know? Their blood is on yer hands!" He grew suddenly angry, slamming both hands into Joe's chest forcing the air from his lungs.

"No it's not! You're the one who slaughtered a whole, innocent, family!" Joe wheezed, receiving a violent punch to the face, blackening his left eye. Joe was suddenly aware that he and Louis were still disturbingly naked from the waist down.

"Yer so stubborn, boy." Louis snarled, venomously. Louis climbed on top of the bed, hips straddling Joe's shoulders. "But I love it." He whispered seductively as he shoved himself inside Joe's mouth. The boy gagged for a second, surprised, horrified and disgusted, before biting down hard.

Louis let out a yell before jumping off the bed. "You'll pay for that, ya little shit!" Louis began beating Joe and his cronies joined in.

"Frank!" Joe cried, carrying some sort of false hope that his big brother would come bursting through the door and save the day.

"Frank!"

They repeatedly lashed out at him, using their hands and weapons equally. Joe screamed, yelled, and attempted to fight back but nothing could save him. By the time Louis, Snake and the rest of the gang left Joe was bruised, bloody, broken and unconscious. An eerie whistled tune of Are You Sleeping? drifted through the air.

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A few days after the kidnapping, Fenton was pacing in his study, many questions running through his frazzled brain.

_Where was Louis keeping the boys? _

_How would they be able to recover yet again?_

_What if they didn't find them?* _

He stopped pacing. What if they didn't find them? What if Louis killed them before Fenton could save them? Fenton rapidly shook his head in a fruitless attempt to clear those terrifying thoughts. He couldn't lose them. Not again.

Laura had fallen into a depressed state since the boys went missing, hardly ever leaving the house. Fenton had buried himself in his work, shutting out everyone, determined to bring the boys home. He would spend countless nights without sleep locked away in his study. He didn't eat much and had developed the life of a prisoner in his own home.

Suddenly, the phone rang, startling the father.

"Hello?" He answered. His voice sounded exhausted, stressed and weary.

"Fenton, it's Ezra. There's been a development." The man was frantic, talking very fast.

A ray of hope dawned over Fenton. "What kind of development?"

"Do you remember Callaway's lawyer? Adam Foster?"

"Yeah what about him?"

"Him and his family were found dead this morning." Ezra continued with a heavy heart.

"What?!" Fenton felt his hope shatter into a thousand pieces.

"I'll pick you up in ten minutes"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Ezra and Fenton arrived at the crime scene, it was swarming with cops, yellow caution tape was plastered across the property as neighbors and onlookers gathered at the perimeter.

They ducked underneath the tape over the door and entered the massive estate. Fenton glanced around at the once beautiful home, now trashed and splattered in blood. The place had been completely ransacked, broken glass littered the floor along with pieces of chocolate cake. Pink and purple balloons hung lifeless as the Fox and the Hound played endlessly.

"All the valuables were stolen, the silver, Mrs. Foster's jewelry, everything." Ezra said as he led Fenton up the stairs to the master bedroom. When he pushed open the door, the stench of blood and rotting flesh hit them like a freight train.

"Oh my god." Fenton covered his mouth and nose while entering the room.

The first thing he noticed was the blood. So much blood. The liquid acted like paint, staining the walls, curtains, carpet, the King sized bed and the dressers in dripping crimson splatters. Pieces of ripped flesh were scattered about the floor, chunks of scalp lay on the bed.

Ezra slowly led Fenton further into the room. The first body they saw was the one of Amanda Foster. She was slumped up against the dresser closest to the door, three holes encircling the areas in which she was shot.

Ezra led Fenton around to the opposite side of the bed, in which the rest of the Foster family lay in a massive pool of blood. Fenton audibly gasped at the gruesome site.

Foster lay in the middle of his two daughters, their heads resting on his shoulders while his arms were wrapped protectively around them. Both daughters were naked from the waist down as large pools of blood had formed between their legs, indicators of violent rape. Both daughters were banged up, bruised and bloody. The one on Foster's left had a gunshot to the head, leaving her face disfigured as her soulless eyes stared at her father begging for help. The other daughter, on Foster's right wasn't any better as her throat was cut, staining her dad's shirt. Adam Foster himself looked like he had been ran over by a truck. His whole body was a mess of bruises, and deep lacerations. His chest had been ripped open but the worst of it was a knife plunged in his eye, through his skull and into the floorboard beneath, pinning his body.

Fenton observed the scene with a heavy heart. An entire family gone from the face of the earth in such a horrendous way, and by the looks of it, on a birthday.

"Louis did this?" Fenton asked Ezra, already knowing the answer.

"Louis and Snake. And a few days ago considering the blood is dry and the bodies are infested with maggots." Ezra replied, his voice hard.

"They'll pay for this." Fenton said quietly and fled the scene to the car. He's seen murder before but nothing could prepare him for the sheer gruesomeness of the scene inside the house. Once the car door was closed and he was sure Ezra hadn't followed him, Fenton ran a hand through his graying hair and did something he hadn't done in a long time. He prayed.

**Ok well there you go. I don't feel good about the first part of the story, I really don't. I also understand that you guys probably didn't Iike it either and I hope I didn't lose readers over it. That is the last time anything sexual will happen so it does get better! Please review and tell me what you think. Happy holidays! **


	18. Chapter 18: Personal Business

**Hey guys! Here's an update, as promised! I really do apologize for the incredibly long wait and I'm going to explain why I don't post during the school year. I'm a college student, I major in biology and I made Dean's List both semesters. I'm in the marching band and that takes up SO MUCH TIME (practice 4 days a week, football games on Saturday's, competitions/exhibitions on some weekends, 14-16 hour long days during band camp, sectional time, and mandatory group bonding.) And I also joined a dance team and we won first place at our competition. Any extra time I have goes towards studying (mostly). I guess I'm trying to say Fanfiction isn't on the top of my priority list. I'm only 19. I will try to update more this summer and yes this story will be finished! **

**Everyone who's reviewed: Thank you all so much for your continued support of this story. It really means a lot to me that people are reading and enjoying my work. A lot of you requested a hurt Joe and I agree, I enjoy reading Joe Whump as well. In the next few chapters there will be more brotherly moments as well. I love you guys, and wanted to thank you because you're my inspiration to write. Please see the questions in the authors note at the bottom. **

**There's a very important authors note at the bottom, please read through it and give me some feedback. Thanks and happy reading!**

Chapter 18: Personal Business 

(Frank is 17. Joe is 16.) 

It had been two weeks since the Hardy family entered Hell for the second time in their lives. Laura, overwhelmed with grief, rarely left her room and cried herself to sleep most nights. Despite her heartache, she called every hospital on the Upper East Coast, daily to inquire about two boys being brought in matching Frank or Joe's appearance. Each phone call turned up nothing but new found tears; she didn't know if they were happy tears because it meant the boys weren't hurt or sad tears because they hadn't been found. Honestly, she didn't know how she had any tears left to shed.

Gertrude was trying to stay strong for her brother and sister-in-law. It was hard though, Frank and Joe had become the sons she never had. Sure she scolded them and was a bit too strict and wary of their detective work but deep down she loved them more than anything. Throughout the week she had taken it upon herself to clean the Hardy home and prepare the meals and made sure Fenton and Laura ate and slept regularly. Most days she found herself a supporter and shoulder to cry on for Laura and someone for Fenton to vent too. Each morning she would wake up, read her Bible and say a prayer that the boys were found and brought home. Oh, how she wanted to get her hands on that bastard, Louis Callaway! How dare he rip their family apart again!

The kidnapping was hitting Fenton the hardest. The father buried himself in this case, only to be going in circles. Each time he would uncover a new lead it would steer him towards a dead end. The police force and Fenton had even gone to the house in which they found the boys the first time to find it boarded up; deserted, no clues or traces of life. Fenton feared time was running out for his boys. Currently, he was sitting in the worn out chair in his study pouring over files on each member of the Black Dog Gang.

Throughout the years, the gang has grown to ridiculous numbers, however, Fenton had a hunch they were only dealing with a select few, some of the original members, top dogs so to speak. He started with the leader, Bernie Acerbi, more commonly known as Snake. Fenton didn't really care about his rap sheet, only wanted to know where the man was currently residing, maybe they would have taken the boys there. There was one address listed, for an apartment in the city. Fenton sighed, the gang wouldn't be dumb enough to hide the boys there because they knew it would be the first place the police would look. Oh no, they would be hiding out some place remote, secluded from the world. He put Snake's file aside and moved to the next one. Alfonso Difranchesco, Snake's half brother. Difranchesco was presumably second in command and had a rap sheet almost as long as the leader's. Fenton briefly glanced over it, before looking for known whereabouts. None were listed and Fenton ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He moved on, making a separate stack for people he had to do more research on.

It was about five hours later and Fenton was about halfway through the gang when he came across one file that briefly mentioned the address of a relative. "Of course!" Fenton exclaimed. They would probably be keeping the boys at a relatives house. He picked up the phone on his desk and placed a call.

"Sam? I need you to gather me all of the addresses of the relatives of the Black Dog members. Grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins, etcetera. We're looking for some place isolated and hidden."

"I'll get right on it and call you if I find anything." Sam Radley responded, it was good to hear a new found tenacity in the fathers voice.

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Frank vigorously worked the nail on the footboard with his toes. By this time they were bloody and raw, but he was determined to get that damn nail out and free them. He didn't know how he was going to get the nail from his toes to his cuffed hand, but he'd figure that out later. Frank didn't know how long they'd been tied to those godforsaken beds but it felt like an eternity. They'd only been uncuffed a few times, when Louis, Snake or other cronies wanted to have a little "fun". Frank was bruised, sore and covered in his own blood but he was alive, that was something to be thankful for. The buffoons who'd hurt them were strong, but only beat them with their fists, and the occasional brass knuckles or baseball bats. But Frank could see they were much more creative than that and Frank wondered what was holding them back?

Frank hadn't seen Joe at all in his stay here and it was scaring him like Hell on Earth. They had tried to talk to each other in the beginning; before Snake had realized what they were doing and gagged them both, now the only sounds each ever heard were of his brother's screams.

In the next room, Joe was forming his own escape plan. Next time Louis, Snake or anybody else came in to hurt them he would play along, until he was uncuffed. Then he would fight like mad, despite his current injuries and the lack of food. Throughout his stay, he had only seen five other gang members besides Louis and Snake. Joe sighed in defeat, even if he was able to get loose and somehow manage to get Frank it would still be a seven on two fight. Neither of them would survive judging by their current state.

Once a day they were hand-fed, usually half a sandwich each and a bottle of water. Not enough to sustain energy for a fight. They were weak and injured, exactly what Louis wanted. It was always a young boy around their age who would come in and feed them, he didn't speak any English, only Italian. But he seemed different, unlike the older members of the gang, this boy was kind, gentle and looked upon the Hardy's with pity. He was skinny and had long dark hair and eyes that reminded Joe of a lost puppy. Perhaps he would become a much needed ally? Joe hoped so, they could use one in this mess.

Joe wondered how his parents were taking this, probably not well. He hoped they were ok, and not beating themselves up over their disappearance. He knew they wouldn't be sleeping well and were probably worried sick; like any parent would be in this situation. But he also knew they were strong and Fenton was doing everything in his power to bring them home. He just hoped his father would find them soon, before it was too late.

Suddenly, the door flew open and in stepped Louis and Snake, malicious looks in their eyes. Joe groaned as he was uncuffed, his arms sore from being held in that position for so long. Dizziness overcame him as he was yanked to his feet. He would've collapsed if it wasn't for the strong men holding him up.

"Good morning, Danny-boy, ready for some fun?" Louis grinned as they dragged a struggling Joe out of the room and into the kitchen. The kitchen table was off to the side and laid upon it were a multitude of weapons- bloody brass knuckles, knives, chains, whips, rope, plus things Joe didn't even recognize. There were only two kitchen chairs set up to face each other with about six feet of room in between them. They sat him down hard in one of the chairs and hand cuffed his wrists to the arms of the chair.

"Stay with 'im, make sure he doesn't try anything stupid." Snake told the other gang members. "We're going ta get the other one."

Joe's head snapped up at the mention of Frank. This was the first time he was going to see his brother since they'd been in this nightmare.

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Frank immediately stopped working the nail as the door opened and he too was roughly dragged into the kitchen. Frank's knees gave out when he saw the state of his brother. Joe was dressed in nothing but his dress pants, but they appeared to have been haphazardly thrown on as the button was undone. One of Joe's eyes was swollen shut and his nose was obviously broken, purple, bloody and swollen, taking up half his face. Frank's eyes took in the deep laceration on his side that looked infected. Deep purple bruises covered his ribs and Frank realized worriedly, Joe was struggling to breathe. Joe was giving Frank the same wide eyed look, making Frank realize he probably didn't look any better himself. Both still gagged, they exchanged a meaningful glance as Frank was placed in the chair directly across from Joe and cuffed just the same. Frank became livid when he noticed a large, purple bruise starting on Joe's hip and traveling below his waistband. Frank's imagination ran wild but Joe shook his head, causing Frank to relax but still look venomous. The onlookers watched the interaction with glee, knowing they had caused the fiery look in the brunette's face. For a few seconds it felt like the brothers were the only ones in the room, they took time to communicate with their eyes, each mentally asked if the other was alright before Louis pulled them from their trance.

"How're we feeling boys?" Louis grinned, admiring his handiwork. He received murderous glares from both teens.

Snake approached the Hardy's, "I think it's time we had a proper introduction, my name is Snake." The man stuck out his arm to mock shake hands, exposing his snake tattoos wrapped around his forearms. Joe's eyes widened at the sight.

"And this is my gang," Snake gestured to the men standing behind the Hardy's. "I suppose their names are unimportant, but they each specialize in torture methods, as both of you will learn shortly." The man paused, eyes searching the room and resting on the youngest member of the gang. He pulled the kid forward.

"This young lad is my nephew, Lorenzo. He's our newest and youngest member at seventeen. He was my sister's bastard child before she died." The man snapped a command in Italian and the boy scurried off presumably to do work.

The gags were removed from their mouths and the boys were given the opportunity to speak, although neither had anything to say.

Louis nodded at the guards standing behind each chair who came forward and backhanded the Hardy's for their disobedience, the sound echoing throughout the room as their chairs wobbled from the force. "Come now, boys don't be rude. Introduce yourselves to the gang." Louis commanded, taking out a butchers knife for effect.

"I'm Joe Hardy and this is my brother Frank. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Joe said, cheek throbbing and voice dripping in sarcasm as his eyes watched the knife warily.

The room was silent for a moment as the gang took in the boys words in confusion. Murmurs were heard throughout the room as the gang exchanged perplexed glances. "Hardy?" Snake asked and the boys nodded.

"Like, Fenton Hardy?" Snake was still dumbfounded. Again the boys nodded, confused.

Snake laughed, "hear that fellas? We're in the presence of the world-famous Hardy Boys!" Around the room, knuckles were cracked and vicious smiles were exchanged. Snake turned to Frank and Joe, who were both not liking the situation one bit. "Your daddy caused a lot of trouble for our gang, he arrested me and disbanded our family."

Frank and Joe didn't say anything, but now were more scared then before. It was one thing if Louis had something against them, it was another, more dangerous thing if a whole gang was against their father.

Snake looked at Louis, clapped him on the back and took the knife from his meaty hands. "You never told us these were Fenton Hardy's sons, Freakshow!" Even Louis was looking uncertainly at his comrade. Snake kneeled over the back of Frank's chair and wrapped one arm around his chest as he ran the blade gently over Frank's cheek. "Now it's personal."

**Yes, I know I'm horrible for not updating until now and giving you guys a cliffhanger! But I personally like where it ended. You guys wanted Joe Whump? There's a lot of it, in the next few chapters, which I have already started writing (be proud). My question to you guys is how to torture the boys? I have a few small things and I'm already planning something wonderful for the end, but I can't think of ways to hurt them. I've planned out the psychological torture, but not the physical- weapons? Torture techniques? Anything would be helpful guys! I think I've lost my "dark streak" and I really need ideas, I've been reading other fanfics to see if anything could inspire me but nothing has. I've gone soft. Help, and I promise you a faster update because torture scenes are much more fun to write. I'm just stuck, I know exactly where I want to take this story but I just don't know how to get there. Leave me a review or feel free to PM me. And if anybody has recently read both Never the Same and this fic and notices any loose ends that need to be tied up let me know! Thanks a lot! Let me know what you think! **

**How do you guys picture Louis? Don't remember if I described him in a whole lot of detail. Hope you enjoyed it!**


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